A New Life
by carlessfreedom
Summary: It's been seven years after the June Rebellion, and Marius Pontmercy is happily married, and is a father. However, one day the two people who he missed the most and thought he would never see again come back into his life. This is the story of how Marius found Enjolras and Eponine again. E/E ,AU, movieverse!
1. Chapter 1

**Greetings! This is my first Les Mis fanfiction, and I'm really excited about it. I ship E/E so hard, and I got to thinking what it would be like if they survived and found Marius again? Well, this is that story! I hope you enjoy it:) There will be a lot of fluff, because I can't resist it, but hey I'm only human. Sorry if things are a little OOC. **

Marius Pontmercy was late. He normally rose at around 7:30 in the morning, dressed, and went into the dining room for his two pieces of toast with butter and jam and a poached egg. However, today, he had managed to spill his morning coffee all over his shirt front, causing him to have to go back up and change. Then, his son Henry had begun to shriek with pain due to his minor ear ache that had formed the night before. Marius had waited with Cosette until the doctor arrived, and by then it was already 8:45.

He worked as a lawyer in a small Parisian suburb. They had moved about five years ago, just before Henry was born. Their old home held too many memories; too much blood and regret and sorrow. Marius saw the ghosts of his friends everywhere he went, and Cosette felt the grief of losing her father every day. They were both miserable, so it was for the best that they pick up their life together and find a new beginning.

So here he was, walking briskly down the street toward his law firm on a bright May morning. The villagers were roaming about and calling to each other while vendors tried to haggle with various people about buying their products. The smell of freshly baked bread wafted out of the bakery, and children ran by with coins jangling about in their pockets, frantically looking for something to spend their parent's well earned money on. Marius couldn't help but smile. He loved days like these, when the people seemed happy and carefree. The tyrannical reign of the government and the unfair treatment of its citizens hadn't changed overnight. In fact, it was still a work in progress. But change was coming. It almost made his friend's sacrifice at the barricade all those years ago worth it. Almost.

A heart wrenching pain sliced through Marius like the butcher's knife through fresh meat. His friends, oh his friends! Not a day went by when he didn't think about them. He could never shake their ghosts from his mind. Combeferre, Joly, Grantaire, Courfeyrac, Eponine, Enjolras. He wiped a few stray tears from his eyes. Eponine and Enjolras' deaths had been the hardest to come to terms with. He had held the dying Eponine in his arms while she confessed her love to him, which he could never return. He loved Eponine, but not in the way she wanted him to; nonetheless he still felt guilty about her death. After all, if she hadn't been running his errands for him, she would still be living. And Enjolras had been one of his best friends. He admired the way he could captivate a room with his booming voice, speaking of change and a brave new world that would Marius would have to see without him.

Cosette had been the one to break the news of Enjolras' death to him. When he woke up in the hospital, delirious from the fever that was ravaging his body, he had cried out for his friends, demanding to know what hospital they were staying at. "I _must_ go to them, darling! Don't you understand?"

"Marius…there weren't any survivors. Enjolras was shot alongside another; Grantaire, I believe. The National Guard shot him to make an example out of him. I'm so sorry, my love," she had consoled, but nothing helped. Marius wept like a child, his grief unsurpassed by anything he had ever felt before. His friends were all dead and gone.

"Excuse me, Monsieur? Are you alright?" a quiet voice asked from behind him. Marius whirled around, beholding a small boy munching on a pastry. He tilted his head to the side, waiting for Marius' answer. Marius hadn't realized that he had slumped up against a lamp post in the middle of the sidewalk. He blinked tears from his eyes and managed a smile.

"Yes, young man, I'm just fine," he lied, ruffling the little boy's hair affectionately. "Run along now and enjoy your breakfast on this fine day!" With that, the little boy smiled widely and ran off.

Marius sighed. Straightening his waist coat, and quickly checking his pocket watch (it was 9:20), he continued his walk to his office. He was already late, so his partner Monsieur Germaine must've opened up the firm for today and was beginning the day's work. Just as he was starting to cross the street, when something stopped him. Or rather, someone's voice.

" 'Ponine! Here's breakfast!" said a voice. A voice all too familiar to Marius Pontmercy; one that brought images of revolution. And 'Ponine? It couldn't be a coincidence. He whirled around, almost knocking over a young man and woman walking arm in arm.

"My apologies," he mumbled. A young girl laughed happily and said, "_Merci, _Jolras! It smells delicious." Marius' head began to spin. Was he imagining this? He walked through the crowd of people, pushing some aside that stood in his way too long, and yet he could not find the voices. Perhaps he was going insane; maybe he needed to go home and rest. Just as he was about to give up his search, he spotted them.

Enjolras and Eponine were standing together, smiling up at each other as they munched on buttered croissants. Eponine was laughing as she brushed crumbs from Enjolras' dark green coat. "You are always such a messy eater," she scolded playfully. Enjolras chuckled and smiled as he took the hand that was brushing the crumbs off of his coat and kissed it. Eponine blushed pink, but smiled at him still.

Marius' mind was reeling. What was this? They could not possibly be alive. He had held Eponine in his arms as she stopped breathing! Enjolras was murdered to be made an example, to instill fear in the hearts of the citizens of Paris! He was confused, but there was also the smallest prick of jealousy in the back of his mind. Eponine had once looked at him like that. He quickly shook his head. _You're being ridiculous, Marius, _he told himself. They could not possibly be alive, or _in love!_ Enjolras was a marble statue; he had only one mistress, and that was Patria.

_Well, I guess if you get spurned by Patria once you are bound to find someone else,_ thought Marius wryly.

The crowd had thinned, and Marius could see Eponine and Enjolras more clearly now. Eponine looked much healthier. She had gained a bit of weight, and her face shone with being clean every day. Her brown hair cascaded in curls, which were partially tucked up under a red knit cap. She was wearing respectable clothes, not her usual filthy street urchin clothes. Marius couldn't help but smile at his friends. They both looked very happy. He wanted to go up and talk to them, to hug them and ask them how they had survived the barricade together, and what they had been doing for the past seven years. He wanted to do so desperately, but he was afraid that if he took one step towards them, they would vanish into thin air. A part of him could not grasp the concept that they were alive and well and standing right in front of him.

Marius had not been keeping track for how long he stood there, staring at his friends. All he knew was that one minute they were entranced in each other's gaze, and the next the crowd of people had dispersed. This left Marius standing in the middle of the sidewalk, staring blankly at them.

Enjolras and Eponine felt his gaze, and turned to look at the stranger who was stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, gaping at them. Eponine's smile faded almost instantly, replaced with a look mixed with confusion and awe. This couldn't be! Marius? Her heart thumped loudly in her chest and she could hear the blood roaring in her ears. She felt herself pitch forward, but Enjolras' strong arms caught her before she could fall.

Enjolras was staring at Marius in disbelief. He had his arms wrapped around Eponine, and helped her stand upright. They looked at each other in confusion and then back at Marius.

"M-Marius?" Eponine stuttered. Marius nodded dumbly, taking a cautious step towards them. To his relief they did not disappear in a cloud of smoke like he had feared. Eponine choked out a laugh, and put a hand to her head in bewilderment. "Is it really you?" she asked.

Again, Marius could only nod. He glanced at Enjolras, whose look of disbelief had changed into a crooked grin. He shook his head, his blonde curls flying wildly all over the place.

"Well I'll be damned," he said breathlessly.

**So what did you think? Loved it? Hated it? Let me know! I will try and update soon! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Ok here's chapter two! I'm going to try and get some flashbacks fitted in throughout the story, and it should usually be at the beginning of the chapters :) and thanks for all the feedback on this story it just makes me even more excited to write it! Happy reading!**

**P.S. if you didn't know, I imagine all of the characters from the movie in this story…what can I say? They're beautiful creatures! Again, sorry if things are a little OOC, I'm trying my best!**

_July 1832_

_It was dark, yet Enjolras was not afraid. There was a certain calmness and serene quality to the darkness that surrounded him. An invisible force seemed to be pulling him forward, and somehow he knew what was on the other side would be something spectacular. Paradise was waiting for him at the other end! But just as he started walking forward, something else started pulling him backwards with much more strength. _

"_No! I don't want to go back!" he cried desperately._

_The next thing he knew, he was lying in a hospital bed. Enjolras couldn't move his upper body, or any part of his body for that matter. The pain was too excruciating. _

_**This is impossible,**__**I should be dead, **__he thought. He remembered the National Guard shooting Gavroche, and how he and his friends had desperately called for help from the people of Paris and how they let them die. Cowards. Clearly they didn't want change as badly as the said they did. It left a bitter taste in Enjolras' mouth. He remembered how Grantaire had come to join him in the last moments, and the look of hatred the soldier gave them as he pulled the trigger. _

_Enjolras sighed and managed to turn his head sideways and was surprised to see a pair of chestnut eyes staring at him curiously. _

"_You're awake, Monsieur! You had the doctors quite worried," she rasped. Enjolras recognized her. Marius' shadow…Eponine was her name. But that was impossible! He had watched her die in Marius' arms…looks like the bullets that had pierced them hadn't finished the job like they were destined to…_

"_Where are we, Eponine?" he asked her, straining to sit up. He winced as the bullet wound in his chest flared with pain; unable to sit up he flopped back down onto the mattress with a grunt. _

"_I don't know, Monsieur. Some hospital. Apparently someone found me with the dead and saw that I was still alive…although I don't know how. I was in the shadows. I guess my time is not yet come," she said forlornly. Enjolras noticed the sling that wound around her shoulder and cradled her arm. The bullet must've dislocated her shoulder when she was shot. _

_Enjolras was about to ask her where the others were, but was interrupted. "Ah, good you're up! You gave us quite a scare, my boy. The other doctors were sure you wouldn't make it, but I had faith, I did!" _

_It was the doctor, who introduced himself as Dr. Benjamin. He helped Enjolras sit up and checked his heartbeat and cleaned up his wound and changed his bandages. "I see that you found your friend," Dr. Benjamin said nodding to Eponine. "You two are very lucky, very lucky indeed. It seems as if there is a purpose for you both to be living." He changed Eponine's bandages and told them that the nurses would be up soon with something for them to eat. _

_Once Dr. Benjamin left, Enjolras turned to Eponine. "Surely we can't be the only ones alive. Where are the others? Coufeyrac? Grantaire?" _

_Eponine shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. "No, Monsieur. There is no one else."_

"_But that's absurd! We're here, aren't we? What about Joly? Combeferre? Marius?"_

_At the name Marius, she looked him straight in the eye. Tears were falling fast down her cheeks as she shook her head. "No, not even Monsieur Marius is alive. We're the only ones left."_

Seven years later

Marius was still in shock. He had accompanied Enjolras and Eponine to his house, completely forgetting about the day's work that was waiting for him at his office. This was much more important. He had ushered them both into the sitting room for tea just as the doctor was leaving from checking on Henry. Marius had half a mind to tell him to check out his friends, just to make sure he hadn't really lost his mind.

Enjolras and Eponine had taken a seat on the small sofa together, hand in hand, as they recounted the details of how they had awoken in the hospital together and how they thought they were the only survivors. Marius wanted to cut in and ask them about their relationship and how that had come to pass, but he thought it would be unwise. _All in due time, _he reminded himself.

"It took a couple of months, but eventually I was back on my feet," Enjolras was saying, setting down his tea cup. "I knew I couldn't go outside and look for a job because someone would recognize me. I had no home to go to, no money. The only thing I could do was talk to Eponine and she to me. I'm sure she got sick of me after the first week," he said, laughing lightly as he gazed down at Eponine.

Eponine laughed and nodded. "It took me a long time to even have a conversation with him. I always listened, but it took me a while to talk back to him, and an even longer time to trust him." She looked down at their intertwined hands and back at Marius and smiled. "What about you, Marius?"

"Come now, don't think that you're going to get away _that_ easily! How did you find jobs? How did you make money? Obviously you have been successful because you are wearing respectable clothes and you can afford something to eat in the morning!"

He saw a glimpse of annoyance flash in Eponine's eyes, but she just said, "We still stayed in the hospital at night and the nurses and Dr. Benjamin helped us find places to work," she said curtly.

"Alright, what about Enjolras?"

"They found work for me in the hospital. I helped make the patient's meals and they paid me. We only did this for about a year and by then we had enough money to find a place to live," Enjolras said matter-of-factly. He had not missed the cold way Eponine had spoken to Marius, although Marius seemed to be completely oblivious. He squeezed her hand reassuringly, but she just sat still and looked forward silently.

"I'm impressed," Marius said, sitting back in his chair. "So I take it that you've turned from thieving then, Eponine?" He meant it as a light hearted joke, but Eponine did not take it the same way.

Eponine's eyes widened in disbelief and she clenched her jaw in frustration. Was he really only concerned with how much money she had? The Marius that she used to know used to stand up for people like her. He wanted to fight for them so they could have the same rights as he, and now that she had them he acted like it was a surprise that someone like herself could actually make money and wear respectable clothing! What a joke! She was aware of Enjolras' worried eyes on her as she fixed Marius with an even colder look. "No, Marius. I don't steal anymore." Her face burned from embarrassment at the memories of how low she had stooped to make her snake of a father happy.

Enjolras cleared his throat uncomfortably and asked Marius about Henry and Cosette. Eponine was hardly listening. Her mind was still reeling with the comment Marius had made about her days of stealing. She was not that little waif anymore. She had made a life with Enjolras and for once in her miserable, wretched life she was actually happy. She didn't want to be reminded of her past mistakes after talking to her long lost friend for only over an hour!

Enjolras shook her shoulder, shaking her out of her reverie. "Hmm?" she asked, looking up into his handsome face.

"Marius has invited us to dinner tonight, would you like to go?"

Eponine managed a smile. "I would like that very much."

It hadn't taken long to convince Cosette about dinner that evening. She was happy that Marius was happy, and Henry was feeling much better and couldn't wait to meet their new guests. Of course Cosette had forgiven Eponine for the things that had happened in their childhood; she knew that children often followed the examples set by their parents, and the Thenardiers didn't quite set the best example. She had never met Enjolras, and she was very eager to meet the man behind the bravery of the barricade.

She had asked their cook to find the nicest meat they had and prepare a feast fit for a king. These were some of Marius' friends that he thought he would never get the chance to see again. This was a celebration! Marius marveled at how forgiving and elegant his wife was. He was grateful that he could always count on her to be there, and doing this to make him happy made his heart float with joy.

Marius invited Monsieur Germaine along as well. He had told the man many tales of his young friends and their tragic demise and he knew that Germaine would be keen to meet them. Enjolras and Eponine arrived at 7:30 and they doted on Henry and laughed with Monsieur Germaine as he told them crazy stories of his younger days. Eponine was having such a lovely time that she almost didn't remember what had caused her frustration with Marius earlier, and she also didn't notice that Monsieur Germaine was paying almost a little too much attention to her.

Enjolras noticed, however, and he made a point to pull out Eponine's chair for her as they were seated in the dining room, as if to say _take that_. The man was not registered in Enjolras' good graces, and he felt silly for feeling this jealous and protective of Eponine. He knew perfectly well that she could take care of herself, but when Monsieur Germaine glanced at Eponine or asked her to pass the salt and their hands "accidentally" touched; he couldn't help the jealousy that flared inside his chest like an angry bull.

"So," Germaine was saying, "when I was about seventeen years old I decided to patch up my own pants that had split, but of course I'm rubbish at sewing so as I was in the middle of the street picking up something, and they split all the way up the middle for everyone to see!" Everyone, especially Henry, joined in the laughter. Enjolras forced a smile but refused to laugh. He may have been acting childish but he didn't care.

"Anyways, Enjolras," Germaine said focusing his gaze upon the young man, "I take it that not many people recognize you here?"

"No," Enjolras replied, shaking his head. "It has been seven years since the Rebellion and no one out here actually knows who I am. They all think I'm dead, so it's relatively easy to go unnoticed."

Germaine nodded and wiped his mouth with his napkin, "And what about you, Eponine?" he asked, his voice changing from the professional tone he had used with Enjolras. Enjolras rolled his eyes. Really? That was completely unnecessary!

"Well nobody knew who I was in the first place 'cept Marius and Enjolras and Cosette," she said, smiling at their gracious hostess. She had been afraid that this dinner would've been awkward, but Cosette had been nothing but kind to them both and Eponine was very grateful. The rest of the evening went by swimmingly. The food was delicious and nothing was burned or uncooked. In fact, Eponine had almost completely forgotten about Marius' careless questions that afternoon.

After dessert, they had returned to the sitting room with some wine and were reliving some pleasant memories when Monsieur Germaine asked, "Marius, didn't you once tell me that Eponine used to be a gamine? I'm very surprised by the—transformation that she's gone under," the way he said 'transformation' made Enjolras' skin crawl.

"As am I, Monsieur Germaine. In all my years I never would've expected Eponine Thenardier to become the woman she is now!" he meant it in a good way, he really did, but Eponine could only think of the shame her old life now brought her.

"Marius," she said softly, "please, let's not talk about it," she had folded her hands together in her lap and was looking down at them uncomfortably. Next to her, Enjolras was as rigid as a plank. How dare Monsieur Germaine bring up this conversation! He wanted to stand up and strangle him.

"But why not, 'Ponine? You have come so far from where you were! I'm so proud of you!"

"Why?" Eponine shouted, suddenly standing to her feet. "Because I'm not a little girl who pickpockets strangers walking down the street? Do you know why? I betrayed my father all those years ago when I came to help you at the barricade! I knew I was going to die there, I was prepared to! I'm not like the child I was when I was younger, or the dirty little street urchin who was blinded with lust. I haven't been that person since I woke up in the hospital, and I would appreciate if you would see that! I'm not a Thenardier anymore." With that, she whirled around and walked angrily out of the room. Cosette looked at Enjolras apologetically.

"I think it's time for Henry to be put to bed," she announced, making her way to the door. She knew this was between Marius and Enjolras and Eponine. She did not want to intrude, especially on this situation.

"Honestly, Marius," Enjolras said through his teeth. "Sometimes I wonder what goes on in your head that makes you think it's acceptable to say something like that." Enjolras glared at Marius and Germaine and headed out of the sitting room and onto the street to catch up with Eponine.

Marius ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He got a second chance to meet his friends and he still managed to hurt them.

**So..what did you think? It's getting a little bit heated, eh? Ooh and Monsieur Germaine doesn't seem like a nice guy…what will happen? Stay tuned to find out! **

**Wow that sounded like a bad TV show sorry…anyways I'll be sure to update as soon as I can! Again, thank you so much for the kind words and follows and favorites, that's what keeps me going! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright, onto chapter 3! I've had a scary amount of free time this week so I'm glad to be posting as much as I have been. This chapter is kind of a filler chapter and there's some E/E fluff, of course! (I told you I can't help myself!) Thanks for the reviews/favorites/follows, they're awesome. I wish I could hug you all through the computer. **

**As always, happy reading!**

It took Enjolras a while to finally get Eponine to start talking again. He had caught up with her, breathless and concerned, but she would refuse to say anything. He walked alongside her and let her blow off all the steam from her outburst. Enjolras thought it had been quite insensitive of Monsieur Germaine to bring up the whole topic of conversation, and he was a little bit miffed at Marius as well. He knew that Eponine was a little bit sensitive when it came to talking about the past. And he completely understood, too. When they had first started their relationship in a romantic way, they both saw it as their way of starting over; they still believed that all of their friends were dead, and starting a life together was an opportunity to be happy and not relive the miserable days that had come to pass.

He shoved his hands in the pockets of his waistcoat and glanced sideways at Eponine. Her brow was furrowed and she was biting her lower lip. Enjolras found her irresistibly adorable when she was deep in thought. "What are you thinking about?" he asked casually, hoping to get a response.

Eponine opened her mouth to say something, but quickly shut it and shook her head. "Nothing, really," she sighed, "it's just…now that I think about it I do believe I was a bit too harsh towards Marius. Monsieur Germaine was the one who brought it up after all. But—"

"Yes?" Enjolras asked. Secretly he was glad to have Eponine angrier at Germaine now. He had been very much out of line, and Enjolras was satisfied that she thought so too.

"It's just that I want Marius to see that I'm happy now," she said, lacing her fingers with his. Enjolras smiled. "Yes I was a thief, but I'm not anymore! I wish Marius could feel how happy I am, how happy you make me," she said the last part softly, her eyes shining up at Enjolras in adoration.

"Well, let's not think on it anymore tonight," he told her. They had arrived at their flat, and he could tell Eponine was exhausted. They had both had one hell of a day, to say the least! "The old problems will still be there tomorrow, along with new ones as well. It's best just to sleep on it and handle it in the morning." He unlocked the door to the apartment and stepped inside.

The flat wasn't huge, but it was perfect for two people. Enjolras and Eponine both had enough space throughout the house for their various belongings they had accumulated over the years. Books, trinkets, clothes, and much more! They had bought it a few weeks ago and it was truly their home. It was where they could be alone and enjoy each other's company for what it was worth; at home Enjolras didn't have to pretend like he did on the streets. It was nice to have a place to come to at the end of the day and relax with his love.

"You are always so wise, Jolras," Eponine said to him. She turned to face him and brought a hand up to cup his cheek. Enjolras relaxed visibly underneath her touch and placed his palm over her hand.

"Wisdom comes from experience," he stated, quoting an old saying he had heard once. "Now 'Ponine, to bed with you! I can see the sleep in your eyes!"

She shook her head in protest. "No. I'm not tired!" she objected, but her drooping eyes gave her away. Enjolras shook his head and rolled his eyes good naturedly. She was stubborn about such tiny things, but it was one of the things he loved best about her. He scooped her up into his arms and carried her back to their bedroom, Eponine giggling all the way.

The next morning when Eponine awoke, she was disappointed to find Enjolras had already left for work. She sat up and rubbed her eyes of sleep and dressed for the day. She cleaned her teeth and brushed her hair and even made herself a nice little breakfast of toast with jam and some coffee. She sighed in contentment as she finished eating and figured she had better find Marius and apologize to him.

When she went by his estate, the man who opened the door said that Marius had left for work earlier that day and gave her the address of his law firm. She arrived at the office and let herself in; looking around the room at all of the law books that lined the shelves, she couldn't help but trickle her fingers lightly over the worn spines. A thin layer of dust coated the tips of her fingers, which she was wiping off when a voice said:

"May I help you, mademoiselle?"

Eponine whirled around and was slightly annoyed to find Monsieur Germaine standing there. Leave it up to Fate to run into this man!

"Oh, Eponine!" he declared, his demeanor becoming more friendly—almost a little _too_ friendly—Eponine thought to herself. "What are you doing here?" He flashed her a wide grin and walked closer to her.

"Oh, I was just looking for Monsieur Marius," she said, fighting the urge to smack the stupid grin off of his face. She was not happy with this man, and she _needed_ to find Marius!

"Well I'm afraid he stepped out for a bit, but he should be back soon," Germaine cleared his throat and continued, "I am terribly sorry about last night. I probably shouldn't have brought up your former, uh, lifestyle." He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, which Eponine promptly shrugged off.

"It's nothing," she lied. Where was Marius? She didn't like the way Germaine was staring at her, as if she were a gargantuan meal and he hadn't eaten in three days.

"No, no. I was completely in the wrong. It was rude of me to intrude on any unpleasant memories. After all," he said, taking her hand in his, "I hardly know what you've been through."

"That's right," Eponine said, jerking her hand away hastily. Who did this guy think he was? "In fact, you don't even know me at all." _So stay away._

Thankfully, at that moment, Marius walked through the door carrying various envelopes and a briefcase with his hair windswept and sticking up all over the place. Eponine couldn't help but smile.

"Eponine!" he exclaimed when he saw her, the surprise evident on his freckled face. "I'm certainly glad to see you this morning!"

Eponine's smile grew wider at his genuine comment. "I'm glad to see you as well! Could we talk privately?" she asked, shooting a furtive glance at Monsieur Germaine. His face was impassive, but his eyes held something treacherous that Eponine could not quite place. Nonetheless, she did not want him eavesdropping on her conversation with Marius. The high regard which Eponine had placed him in last night was quickly becoming buried under Eponine's uneasiness towards his serpentine qualities.

"Yes, of course!" Marius said brightly, "Why don't we talk in my office?" He gestured with his head to a small room in the back where Eponine could see a desk and some chairs. She nodded her agreement and followed Marius into the room. She chanced one last look at Monsieur Germaine, but he had disappeared. _Probably slithered away, _Eponine mused sardonically.

"So," Marius began, closing the door after Eponine had stepped in, "what would you like to talk about?" He was fidgeting with his hands and he kept running them through his hair, which was already disheveled.

"I wanted to apologize for my little outburst last night," she started. Her voice shook slightly and she took a deep breath before continuing. "I shouldn't have shouted at you the way I did. It wasn't your fault at all! You didn't bring up the conversation, Monsieur Germaine did and I took it out on you—"

" 'Ponine," Marius interrupted, "it's quite alright. I understand if you don't want to talk about the past. It was a little careless of me to talk about it like I did."

Eponine shook her head vigorously. "No! I don't want you to think that this is somehow your fault. It's just—I have this new life now, and I wish you could see how happy I am. Before, I could only dream of the happiness that I have. Never in my life did I think that I would get to experience love like I am now, or the feeling of a full belly before you go to sleep." She stopped speaking and her eyes were brimming with tears.

"I was always so jealous of the way Cosette loved you and now I have someone who brings me joy every day. Enjolras is so kind to me, Marius. We take care of each other, and I can't wait to start a proper family one day…" she trailed off and smiled glumly. "Anyway, you see what I'm trying to say."

"Oh, 'Ponine," Marius whispered, pulling her into a hug, "I do see how happy you are with Enjolras and your new life. Seeing you happy makes me happy, too. You deserve it after everything you've been through."

Eponine beamed at him. "So, all is forgiven?" she asked, even though she was certain of the answer.

"Of course! It is a clean slate," Marius answered, releasing his hold on Eponine. "By the way, I've been meaning to ask you about your, erm, _relationship_ with Enjolras." He raised his eyebrows at Eponine and she laughed nervously.

"What do you want to know?" she asked him raising her eyebrows at him in a mocking fashion.

Marius chuckled and motioned for her to sit down in one of the chairs across from his desk. "Well, what do you mean by start a 'proper family'? Are you planning on getting married?"

Eponine gazed at the floor as a light shade of pink colored her cheeks. "Actually…we are married. But not officially."

Marius' mouth fell open in astonishment at his friend's confession. "What do you mean by that?" He was trying to compose himself, but was finding it hard to keep his emotions in balance. First he runs into his friends after believing for seven years that they are dead, when in fact, they are actually alive. Next he realizes they are romantically involved. He never would've guessed they were _married!_ Suddenly, Eponine's words from the night before came ringing back to Marius. _Not a Thenardier anymore…_

"We have no official record of our marriage. We can't go to the church and tell them we want to be married. We're afraid that Enjolras will be recognized and taken away to be hanged for his involvement in the June Rebellion. It's not something that we are willing to risk. The only proof we have is the words we exchanged, nothing else."

Marius ran a hand through his hair and slumped back into his chair. "I'll be damned," he breathed, "Is there anything else I need to know?"

**Sorry this was a little long…again this was a little bit of a filler chapter but I think I have a pretty good idea of where I want this story to go. The story will start to pick up in these next few chapters. Reviews are much appreciated (as always)!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Onto chapter 4! I was going to update over the weekend, but there was a lot of stuff that I didn't like in this chapter and I ended up rewriting a lot of it, but I'm happy with the changes! I hope you guys enjoy it!:) **

_February 1835_

_It has been three years since the barricade, but the apparitions still disturb Enjolras. He thinks he sees the faces of his friends peering through windows, only to have them vanish into thin air like smoke. It's hard for Eponine, too. Marius' memory follows her everywhere; it's impossible to shake off—there's too much pain in remembering him and even more agony in trying to forget. There are times when they both wonder why they are still living. What's the purpose of staying alive when there's no one to experience the vibrant flowers with or admire the way the sun falls through holes in the ceiling and splashes diamonds everywhere? _

_As Fate would have it, these two lonely souls find solace in each other. As the days forged on, Enjolras and Eponine found it easier and easier to move on from the catastrophic loss of their companions. Each day they spent together, the closer the two became until they were practically inseparable. What had once started out as innocent hand-holding and pecks on the cheek turned into loving caresses and passionate kisses. As time goes on and their relationship grows more serious, Enjolras considers the next step to take with Eponine. _

_Lying in bed that night Enjolras stared at the ceiling, puzzled. What was he to do for her? He didn't want to do anything overly extravagant…Eponine wouldn't appreciate the gesture. Besides, he didn't want to do anything that would make it look like he tried too hard...he wanted it to be something that happened naturally. Next to him Eponine adjusted herself onto her side and let out a long, exasperated breath. Eventually she rolled over to face Enjolras and angrily fluffed up her pillow. _

"_I can't sleep." _

"_Neither can I," he rolled over onto his side to face her. He cleared his throat and plucked up some courage, "but I've been thinking…"_

"_We both know __**that**__ isn't good!" She smirked at him and he frowned, creating creases in his forehead. "You're going to grow wrinkles if you keep frowning like that," she teased. _

"_Never mind, then. I won't tell you anything," Enjolras huffed, rolling onto his other side so that his back is to her. She sets her jaw in annoyance at his stubborn nature. Honestly, the man was as stubborn as the street vendors who tried to sell you things and refused to take no for an answer. _

"_Oh, c'mon, Jolras!" she said, prodding him in the back, "I was only joking!" Eponine continued to poke his backside until he couldn't take it anymore and is forced to roll back over. _

"_Are you going to listen this time?" _

_Eponine nodded and smiled sweetly at him. "Yes,"_

"_Alright. I've been thinking…you know the old beggar man who always sits in front of the church?" Eponine nodded again. The old man was always so pleasant; she saw him every morning on her way to the flower shop where she worked. Every morning without failure, he would always wave at her and ask how her day had been when he saw her walking home in the evening. _

"_Well," Enjolras continued, "he never lets life get to him. He always exchanges pleasantries with anyone who walks by and if you ask him why he's so cheerful even with the horrible circumstances he has he says, 'I may not have much, but the good Lord has given me another day so I might as well enjoy it.'" _

"_Where are you going with this?" Eponine asked, knitting her eyebrows together. She could tell Enjolras was getting at something, she just didn't know what. _

"_The old man is always happy no matter what. And I've come to realize that that's how you make me feel. Every day is another day I get to spend with you and for that I'm grateful. I know sometimes I don't always show it, but I do care for you, Eponine. I love you," he confessed, reaching to take her hand in his. _

_Eponine was shocked, but in a good way. Enjolras was not one for ostentatious declarations of love. He'd been frustrated lately because he couldn't do anything to help anybody. He could see the unfairness that still followed the lower class citizens, and he couldn't help them. Someone was sure to recognize him, and he oftentimes let out his frustration on Eponine, which would lead to a shouting match and one of them sleeping out on the couch. _

"_Oh, Enjolras…I love you, too!" She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, savoring the way it set butterflies off in her stomach. _

_Enjolras pulled away and smiled at her. "One day, I will be able to marry you. Properly. Right now it's important that I stay low for a while…but one day I will call you my wife, if you will have me. All I have right now is this promise, but I promise that I will love you."_

"_I wish I could marry you right now. But I understand why we can't. I can't wait for the day that I can call you my husband," She leaned in to kiss him again, and he smiled against her lips, delighted that he had something to look forward to, instead of looking back. _

**Present**

For the next two days, rain fell from the skies and kept everyone shut up inside their houses. Everyone was able to emerge on the third day, and they were more than eager to relieve themselves of their stuffy homes. Marius, Cosette, Henry, Enjolras, and Eponine had decided to get a breath of fresh air and walk through the park that afternoon.

In the middle of the park there was a stone fountain that Henry was currently running around, giggling when Eponine would dip her fingers in the fountain and flick water on him. Marius and Enjolras had separated from their families and were talking together about politics.

"It kills me inside that I can't help these people!" Enjolras was saying. "Some of them are still treated like dirt, young women are selling themselves. They shouldn't have to! I know I can help them, I just don't know how to do it without blowing my cover."

Marius nodded in agreement. "Things _are_ different, though. We didn't expect it to change overnight, but it seems like there are more opportunities for people than before. That's why I started my firm here, so I could bring justice to those who deserve it."

At the lull in the conversation, both men looked over at their wives. Cosette and Eponine were conversing amiably while Henry kept trying to chase a squirrel across the lawn.

"She told me, you know," Marius stated.

Enjolras gave him a puzzled look. "What are you talking about?"

"Eponine," Marius said, indicating towards her with a nod of his head. "She told me you were married. Well, not really, but…you know what I'm trying to tell you!"

Enjolras laughed at his friend. "I expected she would tell you." He leaned back his head and sighed. "I just don't know when it's the right time. I don't know if people are still going to recognize who I am…I just don't know what to do." Marius wanted to help his friend desperately, but Enjolras did have a point. It was very risky for him to give out his real name…and he was certain his friend didn't want fake names on a marriage certificate!

While Marius mused about how to help his friend, Cosette and Eponine were having a similar conversation.

"I know he wants to help people and be a politician of some sort, but he's extremely cautious of putting himself out there. I wish I could help him, but I have no idea how," Eponine said. She hadn't meant to burden Cosette with all of their problems, but Cosette seemed genuinely interested.

"Yes, it's difficult to sit back and watch someone you love struggle with something." For many years she had watched Marius with weary eyes. It pained her that whenever he smiled it no longer reached his eyes, and the sound of his laughter was something that was heard every once in a while, but these past few days she had heard it more than ever. "Don't worry, Eponine," she said, patting Eponine's hand affectionately, "it'll all work out in the end, you'll see."

Eponine smiled appreciatively at the young woman. She never would have guessed that they were so alike! It was comforting to know that she wasn't alone in trying to help the person she cared most about in the world. She was about to thank Cosette when Cosette cried:

"Henry! Put that squirrel down!" She stood up from the edge of the fountain where they had been sitting and hurried over to where Henry was. Eponine laughed at the rambunctious child, who had promptly dropped the squirrel when he had seen his mother walking towards him. She was still laughing when Enjolras and Marius approached her. Enjolras had a gleam in his eyes that Eponine had never seen before.

"Eponine," he said, offering his hand to help her up, "Marius is going to try and help us! He's going to try and help us get married!"

Eponine was glad she was holding onto Enjolras because she almost fell over. She looked at Marius who was nodding and smiling. "I'll see what I can do. I'm positive that I can get a marriage license or find a registrar."

"Oh, Marius thank you!" Eponine cried, flinging her arms around his neck. "Thank you so much! I can't even begin to explain how much this means to us!"

Marius laughed and shrugged. "It's the least I can do!" Cosette joined them, carrying Henry, and Marius filled her in on what was to happen.

"That's wonderful!" She exclaimed, setting Henry down.

"Papa!" Henry cried, tugging on the leg of Marius' trousers. "Can I sit on your shoulders?" Marius chuckled and swung Henry up onto his shoulders, Henry shrieking with delight.

Turning to his wife and friends he said, "Lunch first, and then we'll go back to my office."

After lunch, Marius ushered Enjolras and Eponine into his office. Monsieur Germaine looked up from his paperwork. "What's going on?" he asked, removing his spectacles from his face.

"I'm going to be a minister," Marius laughed. Enjolras and Eponine walked into Marius' office and sat down in two chairs across from his desk. Monsieur Germaine followed closely behind and listened intently as Marius explained to Enjolras and Eponine the whole ordeal. Germaine watched the two closely, his greedy eyes never leaving Eponine's face.

He had to admit that the lust was driving him mad. He had hinted at Eponine, but she had continually spurned his advances. His patience was wearing thin. "Marius," he interjected. He had to act fast, "If I'm not mistaken, I do believe there's some sort of marriage supplement form? I do believe there has to be a record of previous _crimes_ before a wedding can take place," Germaine fixed his stare on Enjolras. Enjolras stared back at Germaine with a stare so poisonous it would make milk curdle. Eponine gave him a look of disgust as well. Germaine raised his eyebrows and smirked slightly, "I'm just looking out for you two…I don't want there to be any complications."

Enjolras opened his mouth to say something, but Marius interrupted him. "Yes, Monsieur Germaine," he said, giving his friend a pointed look. "I know you don't wish any ill will for my two friends." Enjolras rolled his eyes heavily and faced Marius.

"There's not a registrar office in town is there?"

"No," Marius answered, "our town is alarmingly small, so there really isn't a need for one. However, I'm sure there's some information about where the nearest one is in the other room, would you like to accompany me?"

Enjolras rose from his chair and went to help Marius. Eponine walked to the door but paused before she left.

"Are you coming, darling?" Enjolras asked.

"No, you go on ahead. I probably won't be much help looking for whatever it is you're looking for," she said sheepishly. "Besides, I need a moment to let it all sink in," she lied. Enjolras nodded and glared at Monsieur Germaine as he left the room. Eponine crossed her arms and reprimanded Germaine.

"Was that really necessary?" she demanded. She was growing tired of Monsieur Germaine's game.

"My apologies if I offended anyone," he replied smoothly. Eponine scoffed at his pathetic lie.

"I'm warning you, Germaine," she said firmly, "if you do anything to stop me from marrying Enjolras, you _will_ regret it." She made to walk out the door, but he caught her wrist. Eponine's heart lurched inside her chest. She glared at him and tried to release his hold on her, but he held on tighter.

"Listen to me, street whore. I'll admit that since you showed up I've been attempting to make advances towards you. I'm usually a very patient man, but you have yet to give me what I want."

"Let go of me." Eponine growled, "I'm not a street whore! Go fulfill your sick fantasy somewhere else!"

He leaned in closer, his hot breath assaulting Eponine. She brought up her other hand to smack him, but he caught it. "Your threats don't scare me, Eponine. Your sorry excuse for a husband is nothing but a coward. If he really loved you he wouldn't be afraid to show his face inside of a church. He's probably too ashamed to since he practically led all of his friends to their deaths."

Eponine glowered at him and kneed him in the groin. He shouted and instantly released her. "Why you little bitch!" Germaine smacked her across the face, causing Eponine to fall backwards. He grabbed her by the wrist again and was about to do some more damage when Enjolras walked back into the room.

His eyes grew wide and filled with rage. "What do you think you're doing?! Let go of her!" He roared, ripping Germaine away from Eponine.

Marius ran back into the room holding the paperwork but stopped when he saw the commotion. "What the hell is going on here?" he asked.

"Your louse of a partner was assaulting Eponine!" Enjolras shouted. He shoved Germaine away from him and turned to Eponine, who was clutching the side of her face. Her eyes were filled with tears and she was trembling slightly.

"Eponine," Enjolras said gently, brushing her hair out of her face, "what happened?" he demanded. Eponine just shook her head as tears began to fall from her eyes. She pushed past Enjolras and ran out of the door. "Eponine!" Enjolras cried.

He whirled around to face Monsieur Germaine and he saw a flicker of fear pass over his face. Good. He wanted to strangle Germaine in the middle of the office. "I'll get you for this, you snake." he threatened, grabbing Germaine by his collar.

"Enjolras, I'll handle this," Marius said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Go make sure Eponine's alright."

Enjolras didn't need to be told twice. He reluctantly let go of Germaine, pushed past Marius, and ran down the street to catch up with Eponine. _This is all too familiar,_ he thought ironically. He finally caught up to her and grabbed her arm.

"Eponine," he said turning her to face him. "Please tell me what happened."

Eponine shook her head and stared down at the street. It pained Enjolras to see the well of tears that threatened to spill from her eyes again. His heart felt heavy as her lower lip trembled and she tried to conceal the bruise that was forming on the opposite cheek.

" 'Ponine. Please," he begged, tucking a piece of stray hair behind her ear.

"I hate that man!" she screamed, "He doesn't know anything. He deserves to burn in Hell!" Eponine stood there for a while as thick, hot tears streamed down her face. Finally, she turned to face Enjolras. Enjolras almost turned back around to murder Monsieur Germaine when he saw the mark on Eponine's cheek. The outline of that filthy bastard's hand was bruising her lovely face! Red spots blurred his vision and Enjolras clenched and unclenched his fists to keep his temper under control.

"Can we just go home? Please?" she pleaded. Enjolras knew she wasn't going to tell him what happened—at least not yet. So he took her by the hand and led her home. He would have to find Marius later and find a way to make Germaine's death look like an accident.

Later that night, Enjolras tried to coax Eponine to eat something, but she refused any food he offered. She just sat in the living room huddled under a heavy blanket and read a book. Finally, Enjolras sat down next to her and snatched the book out of her hands.

"Give it back!" She demanded angrily, reaching up to grab it. But of course, Enjolras was faster and had longer arms and kept it out of her reach without much effort.

"Not until you tell me what happened, 'Ponine. I don't understand why you won't tell me!"

She turned to face him on the sofa. "I told him that if he did anything to prevent us from getting married that he would regret it." Her voice trembled slightly as she continued, "he grabbed me and called me a street whore and then he said some things about you that I'd rather not repeat."

"That son of a bitch!" Enjolras cried, standing up from the sofa. "I knew he was going to do something the moment I laid eyes on him." He ran his fingers through his hair, causing it to stick up wildly in all different directions. He looked down at Eponine. "What did he say about me, Eponine? I want to know."

Eponine suddenly became very fixated on the blanket. She smoothed the fabric beneath her fingers and refused to look at her husband. "He called you a coward," she whispered. Enjolras had to move closer to hear her she was speaking so quietly.

Enjolras sat back down next to her. "What else?" Eponine shook her head and didn't say anything. Enjolras touched her arm and gave her a pleading look. "What else?" he repeated gently.

She sighed and sniffed and Enjolras saw that there were tears in her eyes again. "He said that if you really loved me you would take me to a church to get married, but that you were too ashamed to go inside a church because you were responsible for your friend's deaths."

Enjolras could care less if Germaine thought he was a coward, but the comment about his friends made him feel sick. "It made me so furious, Jolras," she said. "You're the bravest man I know. You sacrificed yourself to help save people like me, and now look where we are! We're happy, and I'm not going to let him ruin it."

"Thank you, 'Ponine. You're very kind to say that, but there is some truth to what he said. I did lead my friends to their death and it kills me inside every day. But Germaine will pay for what he did. Somehow, some way I will see to it myself that he gets what he deserves." Enjolras said.

"Can I help?" Eponine asked and Enjolras laughed.

"That's my girl," he leaned forward and kissed her forehead gently. He pulled away and trailed his fingers lightly over her bruised cheek. "May I?" he asked. Eponine nodded and Enjolras turned her cheek towards him. He examined her wound and Eponine watched him as he did. His handsome face was furrowed with concern, and his eyes still held traces of their earlier ferocity. Eponine's eyes fluttered shut as Enjolras tenderly caressed her face.

When she opened her eyes, Enjolras was staring back at her. "You're very brave to defend my honor," he said. "I love you,"

"I love you, too." Their lips met, conveying the emotion that they couldn't put into words. Enjolras pulled Eponine closer to him and deepened the kiss. Eponine wished she could kiss him forever. The way his lips felt against hers was intoxicating, and it made her blood sing and her nerves tingle. She wound her fingers through his golden curls and smiled against his lips. His hands traveled along her back, causing her to shiver in response. Enjolras pulled away all too soon and rested his cheek against her good one; they were both breathless and light-headed from the heated kiss.

Enjolras wrapped his arms around Eponine and spread the blanket across both of them. She nestled her head onto his shoulder and yawned. Enjolras gazed down at her and watched her as she dozed off. He was certain she was asleep when he heard her mutter, "You are brave, even if you don't think so." The corner of his mouth quirked up and he kissed her on the head.

"Thank you," he said, and he drifted off to sleep.

The next morning Enjolras and Eponine awoke to the sound of someone knocking on their door. They were still tangled up in the blanket from the night before, and it took them a little bit before finally being able to extricate themselves from it.

"It's Marius!" Marius called out, knocking three more times. Enjolras swung the door open and ushered his friend inside. Marius looked like he hadn't slept a wink. He had bags under his eyes and his hands kept twitching as if he had downed one too many cups of coffee.

"Marius, are you alright?" Eponine asked, stretching her stiff limbs. She gasped as she saw the bruises that lined his knuckles. "What happened?" she demanded.

"What? Oh," Marius said, looking down at his hands, "after you left Monsieur Germaine said some rather ignorant things and it infuriated me, so I punched him in the face,"

Enjolras hooted and clapped Marius on the back. "That's incredible! But why are you here is everything alright?"

"Well that's who I wanted to talk to you about," Marius said.

"Germaine?" Eponine inquired.

Marius nodded. "After everything that happened yesterday afternoon, I decided to go by his house in the evening to talk with him, but—"

"I don't like the sound of this," Eponine said warily, looking at Enjolras.

"Neither do I," he said, returning his gaze to Marius, "you don't mean to say—"

"I'm afraid I do," Marius said, "Monsieur Germaine is nowhere to be found. He's disappeared!"

**So there you go! It's getting intense (not really) but anyways, reviews would be marvelous! Thanks for reading. **


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm so sorry I haven't updated! I was going to, but I ended up rewriting this chapter like six times, and even now I'm not completely happy with it…anyhow, I will let you form your own opinions about the chapter. *goes and hides in the corner***

"He can't be gone!" Eponine was saying as she ran out the door after Enjolras and Marius. They flew down the streets, past the law firm and stopped at Germaine's doorstep.

Marius knocked on the door. "Germaine!" He called out, "Germaine, it's Marius!" To their surprise, the door swung open, revealing an extremely disheveled Germaine who was now sporting a black eye. His face became contorted with rage when he saw them and he tried to slam the door, but Marius stopped him.

"Wait," he said, "where were you last night? I came by, but you weren't here."

"Can a man not go out on his own? I went for a walk!"

"Likely story," Enjolras interjected, rolling his eyes.

"No," Eponine said, pointing down at Germaine's shoes that were caked with mud. "I think he's telling the truth." Enjolras looked at her warily.

"Ask anybody in town, they all saw me last night." Germaine said, "Now if you would be so kind as to leave me alone—"

"Not a problem," Enjolras snapped, grabbing the door handle and swinging his door shut. "Let's go," he said curtly, turning around and walking down the street. He was irritated with Germaine already, he didn't want to go gallivanting all over town to make sure the cad was staying where he was supposed to! It was a waste of his time and energy!

"My apologies," Marius said, his face pink with embarrassment, "I didn't mean to alarm you. I just didn't want him to get away with what he did."

"That's alright, Marius," Eponine said to him. "We know you meant well. Thank you for looking out for us."

They smiled at each other and continued walking down the street. The citizens of the town had just started to bustle about and Marius knew he had to face an exciting day of paperwork and mundane cases that he knew had been filed for such petty reasons. He wished something exciting would happen for once, and with the whole fiasco that had just transpired with Germaine, he would most likely be looking for a new partner very soon.

"Do you have work today, Eponine?" Marius asked. Eponine had just recently found a job at the local bakery while Enjolras tried to find an inconspicuous place of employment.

"No," she said, "I don't start until next week."

"Would you both like to come with me and we can discuss wedding plans?"

Enjolras and Eponine didn't waste any time following Marius to his office. When they arrived, everything was where it had been left yesterday. They sat down right away and began discussing the details to obtaining the appointment with the nearest registrar. There was an office about two towns over that was going to send a few documents to Marius that Enjolras and Eponine would have to look over before picking their desired date.

Marius was in the midst of explaining this to Enjolras and Eponine when he realized something. "You should work with me," he told his friend. Enjolras' eyes widened. "You didn't think I would let Germaine stick around, did you?"

Enjolras laughed. "Thank you, Marius," he said. He was truly grateful for his friend's kindness to both him and Eponine. It was nice to have someone who cared about both of them and genuinely wanted to look after them and make sure they were content. It gave Enjolras peace that his friend would offer him a job where he could help the people instead of just sitting by and driving himself insane by watching the injustices of the world. The world had begun to realign the man made of marble, but these acts of kindness that stirred in Marius' heart cleared some of it away. Enjolras wished that the rest of the world could take a lesson from such acts. Then the world would truly be a better place; but Enjolras knew that that was not the way of the world… not here.

"Will you consider it?" Marius questioned. "You can leave Germaine to me, but the position is open to you if you want it," Enjolras told him that it would be an honor to take Germaine's position, causing a grin to spread across Marius' face from ear to ear.

Eponine grinned at both of them. These past few days with Marius had dealt them more good fortune than the entire seven years that they had been separated! That isn't to say that Eponine didn't enjoy those seven years; after all, that was when she had fallen in love with Enjolras and had begun earning her own money honestly. But the past few days, not including the incident with Germaine, had been absolutely wonderful! Eponine felt like she was floating on a cloud when she and Enjolras walked home.

Later that night, after they had eaten their fill of bread and stew, Enjolras and Eponine discussed their recent streak of luck.

"I still can't believe it," Eponine was saying as Enjolras pulled her onto his lap. They settled down into an armchair and smiled at each other. "We're going to be married soon!" She couldn't stop the grin that swept across her features. Her whole face seemed to ignite with excitement, causing Enjolras to chuckle.

He pressed his forehead to hers, "Finally," he said. He kissed her lightly on the mouth. "Everything is falling into place." Everything about yesterday was forgotten. The young couple was looking eagerly to the bright future that awaited them. It was hard to believe that they were the same people who had miraculously survived the barricade all those years ago. Eponine rested her head on Enjolras' shoulder and sighed with satisfaction.

There was a knock on the door, jolting both of them from their pleasant daydream.

"I'll get it," Eponine said, rising from her spot next to Enjolras. Eponine swung open the door and almost slammed it shut again when she beheld the police man standing on her doorstep. Her stomach dropped like an anchor and her head started to spin. This had to be a hallucination.

"Who is it?" Enjolras asked from behind her, he didn't like the way Eponine's spine had straightened so abruptly when she opened the door. He got up to peer around her and froze when he saw who was standing there.

"Are you the man called Enjolras?" the officer demanded. He tried to step inside, but Eponine stopped him. "Move aside, this does not concern you."

"Are you the man called Enjolras?" The officer asked again, pushing past Eponine. Enjolras shook his head and tried to keep his temper in control. His hands had started to shake; whether from anger or anxiety, Enjolras didn't know.

"No, sir. I believe you must have me confused with someone else." He tried to keep his voice from shaking, and he clasped his hands behind his back to hide their trembling.

"I told you he would lie," said a voice from the doorway. Eponine's blood ran cold in her veins. It couldn't be. There was no way that he had turned them in.

"Germaine," Enjolras snarled. He should've known it would be that slithering snake in the grass! He was ruining everything!

"This is Enjolras, the leader of the barricade at the June Rebellion seven years ago. He even told me himself," Germaine said smugly. Eponine wanted to throttle him.

"That's a lie!" She shouted.

"Is it? I specifically remember him saying it was much easier to go unnoticed in this town. Everyone thought he was dead so he could slide right under our noses."

The officer grabbed Enjolras by the arm. "You're coming with me," he said gruffly.

"No!" Eponine screamed. This was not happening! She thrust herself in between the police officer and Enjolras. "You can't do this!"

"What he did was an act of rebellion and an extension of treason. He's been hiding all these years under false names and who knows what other crimes he's committed! A man who leads his friends to be murdered deserves nothing else than to be executed," Germaine stated.

Enjolras clenched his jaw in fury. Germaine knew nothing of his friend's sacrifice! He hadn't been there and seen them in their last moments, terrified and betrayed by the people of France. It was an insult to their memory to have them tainted as cowards who had no idea what they had been getting themselves into! They were the bravest of men and Enjolras was their leader. It was time he started acting like one. "Yes!" he shouted, "I am Enjolras, the leader at the barricade! I formed the whole plan and my friends willingly and valiantly fought by my side. If fighting for the people who were too afraid to rally behind us is a crime, then take me away." _Forgive me, Eponine. _

"Enjolras, no!" Eponine said, turning around to face him. What was he thinking? He had always been quite the orator, but just this once couldn't he keep his mouth shut?!

"Move aside, girl," the officer said, roughly pushing her away. He pinned Enjolras' arms behind him and lead him to the door.

"Stop!" Eponine cried. Her voice sounded strange to her ears; like she was crouched at the bottom of a well, yelling. What had happened to their little moment of happiness? What cruel twist of fate was this?

"Eponine," Enjolras said to her, his eyes were much kinder when he looked at her. "Everything will be alright. I promise." It was killing him watching Eponine try and protect him. He had never wanted to be found out by the police, especially not now, but Germaine had insulted not only Eponine and himself, he had insulted his friends. He didn't want to leave Eponine behind, but he couldn't let Germaine taunt him and call his friends cowards.

"But it won't be!" She said as tears sprung to her eyes. "You can't leave me, not now!" she pleaded with a shaky voice. "I know you're trying to be heroic and honorable, but this is not the way!" She tried to reach out to him, but Monsieur Germaine stopped her.

"Eponine, give it up. You knew it was only a matter of time before the police found you. You knew deep down this was going to happen," he said, his voice laced with false concern. "You will learn to move on."

"None of this would have happened if you would learn to keep your hands to yourself, you bastard!" He was blocking the way to Enjolras, who was being led out of the door and to the caravan waiting in the street. "Get out of my way!" She cried, shoving him aside.

For the second time, he grabbed her wrist and turned her towards him. "You should know that I always get what I want," he hissed. Eponine wrenched herself free and fled out onto the street just in time to see Enjolras being escorted into the caravan. That stupid man! Of all the opportunities he'd had to be gallant, he chose the worst possible time! Eponine was beginning to panic. She knew they wouldn't hang Enjolras right away…they would at least give him a trial, right? Oh, he had told her once, but she couldn't remember now!

"Enjolras," she said, running up beside him before he was put into the caravan. "I'll get you out of this, alright? I don't care how brave you are trying to show Germaine you can be!"

"Go find Marius," he hissed. The officer was growing impatient and was starting to force Enjolras into the car. "He'll know what to do," In a last act of desperation, Eponine grabbed his face and crashed her lips against his. She felt a strong hand on her arm pull her away forcefully, and she let Germaine pull her away as Enjolras was shoved into the caravan and the door was slammed shut. She watched Enjolras' face until it was nothing but a speck traveling through the night, and she was left on her own.

"It's a pity you weren't married," Germaine said, "they might have released him if they knew he had a family to support. Oh, what a cruel world this is!" Eponine turned around, her eyes full of wild hatred. "I told you your threats didn't scare me, Eponine," he sneered.

Eponine wanted to throttle him in the middle of the street. She wanted to make him feel the pain that was crushing her right now. She wanted someone to take care of Germaine so that he never bothered her again. She wanted all of these things, but Enjolras' words came back to her. _Go find Marius. _She pulled herself together and drew herself up to her full height before addressing the snake that stood before her. "You underestimated me, Germaine. You should've listened to me when I warned you the first time." She turned on her heel and ran at full speed through town, and she didn't stop until she was panting on Marius' doorstep.

She knocked on the door repeatedly until a grumpy looking Henry opened the door. Marius stood behind him rubbing his eyes of sleep, and Cosette was yawning behind Marius, her golden hair falling in waves around her face. "What's going on?" she asked when she saw the disheveled Eponine.

Eponine was still trying to catch her breath and managed to choke out, "Enjolras…Germaine…the police," before finally dissolving into tears of anger and frustration. "He's gone!"

Cosette gasped and covered her mouth with her hand and shared a flabbergasted look with Marius.

"You have to help me," Eponine begged, and Marius nodded vigorously.

"Come inside," he said.

***comes out of the corner* …so, what did you think? I'm pretty sure we all knew this was coming. Stupid Germaine! Don't worry; he will get what's coming to him. I will try and update sooner, but don't be afraid to leave a review;) **

**P.S. I love all of you who have favorited/ followed this story you are superb humans! **


	6. Chapter 6

**I am SO sorry that this has taken so long. I've tried so hard to find time to write, but when I had time the words just wouldn't flow, and then school got in the way like it always does. This chapter took forever to write, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 6:**

"Come with us."

Enjolras glanced up at the two officers who were standing outside of his cell. One of them reached into his waistcoat pocket and pulled out a ring of keys and unlocked his door.

"Where are we going?" Enjolras asked. Were they going to hang him? Oh God, not now!

"Don't ask questions, just come with us," one of them said curtly. The other officer barged in and, grabbing him by the arm, forced him to his feet. Each officer took hold of his arms and marched him down the long, winding hall of cells. With every cell they passed, Enjolras' heart grew heavier and heavier in his chest. This was it. He was going to die. He wasn't afraid of death; not anymore. He was most displeased with the circumstances that were leading up to his death, however. He was disappointed that he didn't give a proper farewell to Marius…or Eponine…

Enjolras was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he was startled when the officers led him into a small room. The room was empty except for a wooden bench that was pressed up against the wall, and the only source of light was from the tiny window that rested at the base of the ceiling.

"Wait here," the officer said, forcing him down on the bench. Enjolras sat down and put his face in his hands. He took a shaky breath and tried to calm his beating heart, but to no avail. He heard the metal door creak open and slam shut. He didn't look up; he knew it was the officers. He heard the heavy footsteps approaching him, followed by a pair of much lighter footsteps…ones that sounded as light and as quick as hummingbird wings…footsteps too soft to belong to the officers. He glanced up and gave a cry of relief.

"Eponine!" And before he could blink, she had rushed towards him into his outstretched arms. He picked her up and twirled her around, his arms wrapping around her slight frame. She clung tightly to him, her shoulders shaking with grateful laughter.

"Oh thank God," she said, her voice muffled. She buried her face into his neck and kissed his throat. "I didn't know if you were still here!"

He felt someone grab his shoulder and pull him away from Eponine. Enjolras turned around to shove the person away and met nothing. More invisible hands seemed to grab at him. He kept swatting at the unseen, shoving them away each time they attacked, but it never stopped. Meanwhile, Eponine was being dragged away by Monsieur Germaine. The more she struggled, the angrier Germaine became. And no matter how much Enjolras fought to reach her, they moved farther and farther away.

Enjolras jolted awake. He shivered inside the barren jail cell. The night was unseasonably cold, seeping in through the cracks in the walls and floor, causing his body to convulse with chills. His back ached from resting on the stiff wooden bed. He missed his soft mattress back at home with the warm sheets and fluffy pillows. But most of all he missed being able to roll over and watch Eponine sleep.

_Eponine._ He sighed dejectedly. Her name had echoed through his mind all night, and even when he had fallen asleep she had resounded throughout his dreams. He missed her desperately. He missed the spark that would flare in her eyes when she became passionate about something, he missed the way her laugh echoed throughout the room; melodious and contagious. But most of all, he missed the way her lips felt against his and how naturally their hands found each other when they walked. His heart sunk like a stone as he remembered the look of dismay that had been etched across her face as she kissed him one last time.

Enjolras hoped that she had gone to Marius. He would know what to do now. They hadn't questioned Enjolras yet, but he expected them to start investigating tomorrow. They had just thrown him inside the cell, roughed him up a bit, and walked away. _Always abandoned by the people of France, _he thought ruefully.

He sighed and rolled over onto his other side, attempting to keep the icy chill at bay. Try as he might, sleep would not claim him again, and he was left with his own thoughts. All Enjolras could do was wait for the morning sun to bring the new day.

"That stupid man!" Eponine was pacing back and forth in Marius' sitting room. "I can't believe he confessed!" She continued to grumble under her breath.

"Eponine," Marius said, "please sit down! You'll wear a hole in my carpet!"

"No! I won't sit down until Enjolras is out of prison and safe!" She was starting to become slightly hysterical and she had to take several deep, calming breaths. "Marius, what do we do?"

Marius heaved a heavy sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. "Tomorrow morning we'll have to go up to the mayor's office and see where they've taken him."

"They won't—hang him, will they?"

Marius shook his head. "I don't believe so, not right away. That's why we'll go first thing in the morning,"

Eponine's shoulders slumped at the prospect of waiting until morning. She wanted to go now! Although Marius had assured her nothing would happen, she was still skeptical. If anything happened to Enjolras this night and she wasn't there…she shuddered. She couldn't even let the thought pass through her mind- it was too painful. She nodded solemnly and Marius put a hand on her shoulder affectionately.

"Don't worry, 'Ponine, we'll bring him home. Get some rest." He led Eponine to one of the spare bedrooms that Cosette had helped him prepare.

Marius sighed as he settled into his bed. Cosette rolled over and grabbed his hand. "Everything will be okay, Marius. I promise."

Marius nodded and kissed his wife. "It has to be. I can't lose either one of them again."

Meanwhile, Eponine was pacing back and forth in her room. She had tried to sleep, but she couldn't stop thinking about Enjolras. She was stuck between being furious at him and worrying about him. She was furious that he had given himself up! Had his pride really been that wounded by Germaine? Hadn't she already tried to defend the name of him and his friends? Look where that had led to! Monsieur Germaine would pay for what he had done—how dare he separate them when they were at their happiest!

But Eponine was still worried about Enjolras, too. More than anything she wanted to hold him in her arms just to know that he was safe and sound. She perched herself on the windowsill and hugged her knees to her chest.

"Please God," she murmured, "let him be alright." She repeated this over and over again, until her head rested against the window, heavy with sleep.

The next morning at breakfast, Eponine was met with worried glances from everyone except Henry, who was far too preoccupied with his eggs and toast. Eponine refused the food that was placed in front of her. She was too worried to eat; her stomach kept tying itself in knots, making it impossible to create an appetite.

She waited as patiently as she could, and once Marius had finally finished eating, she scraped back her chair and practically sprinted to the door.

"Hold on!" Cosette protested. Eponine fought the overwhelming urge to roll her eyes. Honestly, could they not get to the mayor's office without one interruption?

"You're not leaving me here alone!" Cosette called out to the governess who was located in the kitchen. She gave hurried instructions and thanked the woman a million times before turning around to Eponine and Marius. "I want to help," she said firmly.

Marius smiled at Eponine, but quickly regained his composure when he saw the lethal look Eponine was giving him. "Let's go then," he stammered, ushering the girls out of the door.

Eponine's patience had been stretched so thin, it was a miracle she hadn't snapped yet. The mayor had refused to see them right away and had forced them to wait while he sorted out some personal business. Marius reminded her that he _was_ a busy man, but Eponine had scoffed at his naiveté. The mayor could care less whether someone like Enjolras was going to be executed! They were not going to be treated like a top priority. After what seemed like an eternity, but in reality had only been a few minutes, the door to the mayor's office swung open.

"Finally! We—" Eponine began, but Marius cut her off.

"I'll handle this," he said, giving Eponine a pointed look. No one was going to help them if she continued to talk! Quite frankly, Marius was concerned about what might come out of Eponine's mouth, especially regarding Enjolras' situation.

"What can I help you with?" The mayor asked, smiling. Eponine gave the man a baleful look and tried her hardest to keep her mouth shut.

"Are you aware of the arrest that took place last night?" Marius asked.

The mayor, who was a stout, balding man, looked thoughtful for a moment. "Ah, yes," he said. "The young man from the June Rebellion? Yes, glad they caught the scoundrel!"

"How dare you—" Eponine started, but Marius cut her off again. The mayor's eyes widened in surprise at her vicious outburst.

"Yes, well you see, he is a dear friend of ours and we were wondering where they would have taken him?"

"Well, they would've taken him to the nearest jailhouse, which is located in the largest town in our district. It's about fifteen or so miles away."

Eponine's shoulders sagged in relief at the wonderful news. She followed Marius outside to fetch a carriage while Cosette found directions. After the trio had left, the mayor returned to his desk. Or, he assumed they had left. As Cosette was passing by his office again she heard him say:

"Alright, I did as I was told." Cosette stopped abruptly. What was this about?

"Thank you, mayor," she heard a voice say, followed by the unmistakable sound of coins being dropped onto a hard surface. Cosette peered around the corner slightly and stifled a gasp. It was Monsieur Germaine! He was paying off the mayor! The mayor was a greedy fellow, easily swayed by anyone who was willing to pay a large sum.

"Little do those idiots know, I sent their precious Enjolras to a prison near Paris," Germaine was saying. He chuckled, but the mayor didn't seem interested in his dastardly scheme; he was more engrossed in counting out all the money that he had procured. Monsieur Germaine turned around and headed out the door, pleased with himself. "I think it's time to pay a visit to my dear friend Enjolras," he spat. Cosette was already out of the building and onto the street.

Marius and Eponine were waiting for Cosette by the side of the street, a carriage waiting for them. She appeared breathless by Marius' side.

"Darling, what is it?" Marius wondered, grasping her hands tightly. Eponine looked alarmed at the normally put-together young woman. What could cause her to become so frantic?

"Enjolras is in a prison near Paris. The mayor lied to us!"

"What?!" Marius and Eponine responded.

"Germaine paid him off!" she cried.

At that moment, Monsieur Germaine was strolling lightly down the steps of the town hall, whistling a light tune. Eponine's eyes plucked him from the crowd almost immediately and Marius quickly grabbed her arm to restrain her.

"Eponine, don't do anything you'll regret!" he said.

Eponine glared at him. Cosette interjected, "He said he was going to visit Enjolras, we must follow him!"

For the first time that day, Eponine genuinely smiled at the blonde. "Let's go!" she cried, cramming herself into the carriage. The entire ride passed by in a blur. The landscape that flew by her window went unnoticed. The poor girl was clasping and unclasping her hands together, and anxiously worrying about her Enjolras.

The carriage ride took most of the day, and they arrived at the prison that evening. She spotted Monsieur Germaine's carriage and instantly took off towards the entrance. Everything was a blur. After a moment they were all miraculously admitted into the prison. She briefly remembered Marius saying something about his law degree, but by then her head was swimming with the joy that she was moments away from Enjolras.

As they were being escorted through the halls to his cell, they heard a voice snarl "You!"

Eponine whirled around as Germaine came storming towards them. "This is impossible! How could you have followed me?"

"You're not as inconspicuous as you think, Germaine," Marius growled.

"No you are not!" Eponine was through with this despicable man. She crossed the length of the hallway in three quick strides, until she was standing right in front of him. Germaine towered over her, and her head only came up to his chin, but the defiant set of her jaw and the cold, hard look in her eyes caused Germaine to take a step back. All of her pent up rage and frustration towards Germaine came streaming out. "You think you're so cunning, don't you? I grew up on the streets of Paris! I know my fair share of cunning and trickery. You have started digging your own grave, Germaine. You think you can take Enjolras away and I'll just fold in on myself. Well, I won't! I will fight for him, just like he did for me! You will not win!" She was shrieking now, but she didn't care.

"Monsieur!" A police officer was walking towards them, gripping a weary Enjolras by the arm. Eponine's heart sank as she scanned his worn face. He hadn't slept well in the past two days, and heavy purple bags were under his eyes. She clenched her fists in fury as she saw that he had bruises lining his jaw. "This is the man you wanted to see?"

When Germaine turned around, Enjolras caught a glimpse of Eponine's worried face. His eyes lit up like the sky ablaze with fireworks. He smiled at her in order to cease the worry he could plainly see in her expression. _I'm alright,_ his smile said. _Now that you're here. _Apprehension was still scrawled across her face, but her eyes held something different. Her eyes held relief.

"Officer, you must release this man!" Marius was saying, "He doesn't belong here!"

"Quite the contrary, Pontmercy," Germaine interceded, brushing an imaginary piece of lint from his inky coat. "The police have already heard his confession. They know all about his little escapade during the Rebellion."

"You're going to condemn this man without a proper trial?"

"They already have a confession," Germaine barked, seeing where Marius was headed with his train of thought.

"Yes, but what about witnesses? There are two witnesses in this very room! Certainly _they_ have something to say about his present situation?" He gave the officers a pleading look. They both looked at each other, then at the ground. "Come now, gentlemen! You wouldn't condemn this man without a trial, would you? You wouldn't send him to prison without a just sentence! 'The law is harsh but it is the law,' as they say."

Germaine's face had turned a tomato red. "Pontmercy," he warned, but Marius ignored him.

"Surely this man deserves to be tried just like anyone else. Let justice be brought forth where it is necessary,"

The two police officers looked at each other and sighed. They knew he was right. Cosette was beaming at her husband with pride, while Eponine and Enjolras grinned at each other. Germaine's face was distorted into a horrifying mask of vehemence, his forehead was purple and the veins in his neck were protruding. That damned Pontmercy!

The officer closest to Marius exchanged a few words with him in a hurried whisper, occasionally glancing at Monsieur Germaine, then to Eponine, Enjolras, and back to Marius. They seemed to be discussing something of great importance, because Marius' eyes were heated with passion.

"Come with me," the officer said finally, gesturing for the group to follow him.

Eponine flitted past Germaine to stand next to Enjolras. The officer that had accompanied him started to say something, but stopped when she glared at him fiercely. "I'm just going to walk beside him," she snapped. Enjolras smirked and "accidentally" brushed his arm against hers.

"I'm glad you're okay," she whispered quietly.

"No talking," the officer barked. Eponine scoffed and rolled her eyes and bumped against Enjolras' arm. Accidentally, of course.

**Together again! Hooray! Hopefully I can update sooner this time, but I apologize in advance if it doesn't happen right away. Please let me know what you thought! Reviews would be wonderful. Again, thanks to everyone who has favorited this in the past few weeks, it keeps me inspired! **


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm off this week for Spring Break, and I have finally managed to break through at least a little bit of my awful writer's block. So here's a little something to get the ball rolling again! I hope you enjoy it. **

**Chapter 7:**

Cosette watched warmly as Eponine and Enjolras talked. Their heads were bent close together, and smiles were plastered on both of their faces. Germaine and Marius had stalked off with the police officers into an empty chamber and were discussing the possibility of a trial for Enjolras. Perhaps "discussing" wasn't the correct word…they were quarreling about his trial. Cosette could hear snatches of their argument, catching Eponine and Enjolras' names, followed by the shouting of a list of offensive labels that no young man or woman should hear from Germaine.

Foolishly, both of the guards had gone into the room with Germaine and Marius, leaving Enjolras and Eponine by themselves. Cosette smiled slightly at them and then politely turned away in order to give them some privacy.

Eponine reached up and turned Enjolras' bruised cheek towards her gently. "What happened?" she frowned.

"It's nothing," he replied, "They were just trying to establish their superiority." Eponine pursed her lips and furrowed her eyebrows together. "Honestly, I'm fine!" he implored.

"They shouldn't torment you like that," Eponine said firmly, unconsciously gravitating closer to Enjolras. He wanted to put his arm around her, but the guards had bound his wrists together when they had taken him from his jail cell, making it impossible to touch her. His fingers twitched in irritation. Enjolras gazed down at Eponine, and for a moment they studied each other's faces. Who knew if this was the last time they ever saw each other? What if the police ignored Marius' pleas for a trial?

Dark, purple shadows were smeared under his eyes, making him look eons older than he actually was. "Were there nightmares, Enjolras?" she asked, brushing the hair out of his face. When they had stayed in the hospital all those years ago, Enjolras had had frequent nightmares. He would thrash about and claw at the air and scream the name of his friends who could no longer hear him. It was painful for Eponine to witness and she hadn't even developed feelings for the man! She had been indifferent to him then, but watching him kick and yell like a child for his fallen comrades was haunting.

"Only one," he answered in a strangled voice. He had eventually fallen asleep again, but the same nightmare replayed in his head. In every version, he was being escorted to die and Eponine would appear, but then Germaine would take her away, or—in the worst one—hit her in front of him and Enjolras was helpless to stop him. "I'm sorry I gave myself up, Eponine," he said suddenly. "It was foolish of me; I shouldn't have let Germaine get to me like that."

"It probably would've happened anyway," she said, placing a hand on his arm. "It's not your fault. Germaine had us cornered, didn't he?"

"Yes, but I shouldn't have let my pride be so wounded…but when he insulted my friends—"

"Enjolras," Eponine interrupted, "you don't have to explain yourself to me. I know why you confessed, and as much as I wish you had just kept your mouth shut—" she raised her eyebrows at him and he tried his best not to wither under her stare—"I know why you did it. But that still doesn't alter our situation, does it? You're still in chains, but we will get you out of here. I promise." There was such an honest and powerful conviction in her tone that Enjolras had to smile.

"It seems you've become quite the orator yourself," he said cheekily. This time when he smiled it made him look younger and less haggard.

"Well, I learned from the best," she retorted. They smiled at each other and brought their faces closer together, but just as their lips were about to touch, the door to the chamber burst open.

Germaine was standing in the doorway, red in the face, the veins in his throat protruding and his fists bunched up at his sides. Cosette's eyes widened in alarm as the seething man came storming out of the room. Marius walked out next and made his way over to his wife. She gave him a questioning look, but he just grasped her hand and remained silent. The two officers stalked out of the room next, and upon seeing Eponine with her arm looped through Enjolras' bound one, quickly rushed over and separated them.

"There will be none of that!" One of them spat. He had a long, curling mustache that quivered when he spoke. He grabbed Enjolras gruffly, while the other officer seized Eponine by the wrist and jerked her away.

"Don't make us regret our decision, girl!" He hissed, pushing Eponine towards Marius and Cosette. Eponine huffed and crossed her arms over her chest haughtily.

"We will see you tomorrow morning, Monsieur Pontmercy," the mustached man said, leading Enjolras back down the hallway.

Eponine's eyes widened as she processed the officer's words. Her arms went limp at her sides. Before she felt like Atlas, bearing the weight of the world on her shoulders. But at the man's words, Eponine felt the weight begin to recede. The officers turned around and stared at her with blatant contempt. No doubt Germaine had spun some horrid tale about her to the police in order to make him seem like the hero. Eponine tried her best to ignore their hateful stares.

"Tomorrow morning?" She turned to Marius and he smiled lightly.

"Yes, 'Ponine. They're going to give Enjolras a trial,"

The corner of her mouth turned up slightly. But when she turned to smile at Enjolras, he was gone. The guards were escorting him down the hallway back to his jail cell. He caught her gaze for a split second before the guard turned his head forward and kept marching him to his cell. That would be the last she saw of him that day. Eponine tried her hardest to ignore the misery that stirred in her chest, but it was no use. Her smile vanished just as quickly as she used to on the streets after she would pickpocket someone. She was even more disappointed to find that Germaine still remained in their presence.

Germaine fixed the three of them with a cold, hard look. Although his gaze was piercing and his stance was defensive, there was something in his eyes that Eponine did not like. It was a mix of satisfaction and amusement. It said that even though his plan seemed to be going poorly, he was still determined to make both Eponine and Enjolras pay. And he had sinister way to do it, too. Turning on his heel, Germaine stormed down the hall and didn't look back.

Eponine turned around to face Marius. "What's going on? You said they're going to give him a trial, but you don't seem happy about it. Why not?"

"I'm elated that he has a trial! It bought us some time, but now we have to prove in some way that Enjolras didn't participate in the June Rebellion."

With those words, the weight of the world was back on Eponine's shoulders. She buried her face in her hands and groaned. "This is impossible! Germaine is there at every turn! We can't beat him!"

"Eponine, you can't give up!" Marius said, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"How do we beat him, Marius? How do we beat him if he seals every hole we try to make in his plan? He wants me to pay for not giving him what he wanted," she spat, "and killing Enjolras is my punishment. Enjolras hasn't committed any crimes in seven years! He's been a good worker in the jobs he's had and he is always looking for new ways to help people. That was the reason he started the Rebellion in the first place! But now he has to settle for helping people in smaller ways and he understands that. He has a good heart, Marius, you know he does. Why are you looking at me like that?"

Marius was looking at Eponine as if she had sprouted an extra head. "You're brilliant, Eponine! You've given me an idea!" Marius laughed like a school boy who has just realized that school has been cancelled for the day.

"I did?" Eponine questioned. She trusted Marius' instincts when it came to things of this nature, but she really wished he would stop looking at her like that. She was starting to think she really _had _ grown an extra head.

Marius looked around excitedly. He had begun to bounce up and down as the idea Eponine gave him began blooming into a plan. "Come," Marius said, "we must find a private place to discuss it."

**Oh, I'm just a little bit evil. Honestly, every time I want something bad to happen to Germaine, he ends up doing something evil and I just as;kfj;akg. But I PROMISE he does get what's coming to him! You just have to wait…**

**Thanks for reading! Reviews would be lovely (seriously, I'm having a hard time thinking of ideas…and I'm going crazy so if you have an idea PLEASE share it with me, it would make things SO much easier!) And if you want to follow me on tumblr here's my url: . (:**


	8. Chapter 8

**A massive thank you to frustratedstudent who suggested this idea to me! I was stuck in a rut and this idea really pulled the story together and I believe I know how I'm going to end it!:)**

**Chapter 8:**

_September 1832_

_Eponine awoke with a start. Gray morning light illuminated the curtains in the hospital, bathing everything in a strange, ashen light. She remembered her dream; the gunshots, the dead boys sprawled on the street in pools of their own blood. Eponine tried to shake the images out of her head, but try as she might she could still hear the screams echoing off of the barricade. _

_At least she didn't call out like Marius' friend. Eponine was still a bit weary of him…she didn't know what to make of the strange boy who would mutter about revolutions under his breath. But when she would hear him screaming for Grantaire or Combeferre or Courfeyrac, boys she had never known but he had loved, she couldn't help but pity him. He had gambled and lost everything. But then again, so had she. She had lost Marius forever. _

_Quietly, so as not to wake anyone, Eponine glided over to the window. Whenever she had the chance, she always liked to watch the sunrise over Paris. It was very calming, watching the sun carry out its duty for the day. Yet, she couldn't help but think of Enjolras and how his friends would never watch the sun rise again…_

"_This City now doth, like a garment, wear/ The beauty of the morning; silent, bare."_

_Eponine swiveled her head to look at Enjolras. "I didn't know you were awake, Monsieur," she whispered. _

"_I just woke up," he told her, straining to sit up. He had regained much of his strength over the past few months, but doing small things like sitting up still caused his face to pale rather alarmingly. _

"_What was that you said?" _

"_It's a poem. I saw you watching the sun and it sprung into my head. What do you think it's like to watch the sun rise over somewhere else?" _

_She wondered if he was imagining what the sun rise looked like for his friends, or if he truly meant another city. She shrugged. "I don't know, Monsieur."_

"_One day I'll see the sunrise differently," he said, more to himself than to her, "one day, when I have a new life, I will watch the sun come up somewhere far away from this hellish place."_

_Eponine hadn't realized that her face had turned down into a frown. __**Just keep dreaming, **__she wanted to tell him, __**but you know as well as I do that we are tied to this place. Even if we leave we'll always come back. Always. **_

_She turned around to say it, but Enjolras was staring straight at the wall, his profile timid and frightening all at once. She followed his gaze to the wall, and for a crazy moment, she wondered what he was seeing. _

_The boy was very strange. _

It had been seven years since Eponine had seen the sun rise over Paris. She was filled with a strange sense of nostalgia as she watched the sky ignite in oranges and pinks. She had foolishly believed that when Enjolras had asked her to leave with him that she wouldn't be coming back, that leaving had finally severed their ties with Paris. She sighed wistfully at the memory. Oh, how she longed to go back to that time when it was just them together, and that none of this awful business with Germaine had ever happened.

_But then you wouldn't have found Marius,_ she thought to herself. That thought was the only silver lining in this situation. However, after today, who knew if she would ever see Marius—or Enjolras—again.

There was a gentle knock on her door, and Eponine turned her head from the window to see Cosette in the doorway. "Are you ready, Eponine?" she asked. Eponine took one last look over the vast expanse of the city. Her heart started hammering in her chest, and her palms began to sweat at the thought of what was going to happen today. So much could go wrong, but it was better than not doing anything at all.

"I'm ready."

Cosette nodded and smiled understandingly. "Don't worry; everything is going to be okay."

"You seem to say that a lot," Eponine observed, "how can you be so sure?"

"How can you be so sure that everything won't be okay?" Cosette countered. "You said yourself you would do anything to get Enjolras out of prison, and we will get him out. Today."

Eponine's throat had suddenly become very dry. Never in her life would she have guessed that _Cosette_ of all people would be helping her with something so dangerous and highly illegal and for her benefit. "Thank you, Cosette," she whispered.

Cosette smiled and gestured for Eponine to follow her.

The three of them had found a small inn to stay in for the night, and they had stayed up late into the morning concocting their plan. The two girls descended the rickety staircase and met up with Marius on the street. As they walked to the courthouse, Marius went over the plan with them again.

"Remember the routes you're both taking?" he asked. Cosette and Eponine nodded. "Good. Stick to the plan, exactly as we've intended, and everything will be perfect."

The morning passed by in a tedious blur for Enjolras. At dawn he was summoned from his cell, cuffed, and dragged into a rocky carriage and transported to the city courthouse. He was relieved to see Eponine, Marius, and Cosette when he was escorted into the courtroom, but managed to keep his face a stoic mask.

Enjolras barely listened as the trial started. He didn't want to look at Eponine, because he knew that she would be looking at him. Seeing the worry and pain in her eyes a second time would surely kill him. Instead, he focused on the wall straight in front of him as Marius and Germaine dueled for his freedom.

As the trial wore on, the more it seemed that the whole idea of the trial was purely ridiculous. Enjolras knew perfectly well that Marius had only been trying to buy him some time, and now that he was here it seemed insensible to have pleaded for a trial in the first place. He knew he wasn't going to be found innocent, but if he trusted anything, it was Marius….hopefully he knew what he was doing.

When Enjolras had tuned back into the trial, Marius was calling a recess. How long had it been, he wondered? Marius touched his shoulder in a comforting gesture and Enjolras fought the urge to shrug his hand away. He was becoming annoyed at his friend's carelessness. Did Marius even value his life at all? He knew he was being selfish, but honestly, what was the point in scheduling this trial if they were going to lose anyway?

Eponine crept slowly into the antechamber. After Marius had requested a recess, everyone had swarmed into the hall outside. It caused just the diversion that she needed. Having lived on the streets of Paris for most of her life, Eponine darted through the crowd with ease. She had caught a glimpse of Marius conversing with a disgruntled Enjolras, and although she wanted to stop and explain everything to him, she willed herself to walk away.

Upon entering the chamber, Eponine nearly let out an exasperated groan. Asleep in a chair, his mustache quivering with the exhalation of his breath, was the guard who had led Enjolras into the courtroom. Eponine clamped her mouth shut and rolled her eyes. Of course the incompetent man would be asleep! It's a wonder Enjolras hadn't already escaped of his own accord!

She tiptoed over to him and reached for the ring of keys on his belt. Just as her fingers curved around the brass hoop, the guard grunted and mumbled under his breath. Eponine froze. Her heart was pounding so loudly that it was a miracle the guard couldn't hear it. Before she could lose her nerve, she lifted the keys off of his belt and dashed out of the room.

The lobby was in chaos. People were milling about and shouting at each other from across the room. Eponine shoved her hands in her coat pockets in order to hide the keys. She tried to find Enjolras, since she had last seen him talking to Marius, but to no avail. In a moment of quick courage, Eponine began pushing her way through the crowd. She scanned people's faces, looking for the familiar freckled face with the kind eyes that would light up when he smiled. She had almost walked the length of the hall when someone grabbed her shoulder.

"Eponine!" It was Marius. Being this close to him, Eponine could see that he had shadows under his eyes, too.

"Marius! I've been looking for you," she breathed. She was about to take the keys out of her pocket when none other than Monsieur Germaine swaggered towards them.

"Pontmercy, Eponine," He greeted. Eponine could feel the smugness emanating from his person. She swallowed back her revulsion at the way Germaine said her name. She stood with her spine erect, whilst Marius clasped his hands behind his back, his demeanor calm and unruffled.

"Monsieur Germaine," Marius replied, nodding his head.

"I'm going back inside," Eponine said, brushing past Marius. She could feel Monsieur Germaine's gaze follow her as she walked away. A cold chill ran up her spine as she scurried through the throng. She couldn't get away fast enough.

"Honestly," Germaine was saying to Marius, "this trial is just a waste of your time, Pontmercy. You know as well as I do what the verdict will be."

Marius's eyes never left Germaine's face as Germaine craned his neck and surveyed the room suspiciously.

"What are you up to, Marius?" He demanded, narrowing his eyes at the young lawyer. He knew these insolent dim-wits were going to try something foolish.

"I've no idea what you mean," Marius stated simply, his hands clasped behind his back. Germaine had gone back to scanning the room, ignoring Marius' comment.

A flash of red caught his eye from the corner of the room, and he spotted the girl Eponine slipping stealthily through the crowd. He remembered how she had brushed against Marius earlier, and an unpleasant occurred to him.

"The girl," Germaine growled, "what did she give to you?"

Marius feigned confusion, his forehead furrowed. "Germaine, are you ill? I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"Don't play dumb with me! She gave something to you! What are you planning?!" He seized Marius by his lapels and brought his face closer to Marius. Marius fought the urge to smack Germaine and give him another black eye.

"Take your hands off of me this instant!" Marius hissed. Germaine released Marius and began to push his way through the crowded hall. Marius swiftly followed him, a sense of panic beginning to settle in. He didn't want Germaine to follow Eponine! It would ruin their plan! Just in time, a man stepped in front of Germaine, cutting off his path to her.

Marius saw Eponine stop at the sudden commotion. She turned around and watched as the man intercepted Germaine, accidentally bumping into him and causing Germaine to throw his hands up in frustration. Marius held Eponine's gaze and nodded, conveying that it was perfectly safe for her to continue on. She nodded back at him, her mysterious eyes wide with apprehension. Marius followed Germaine back into the courtroom. When he reached the door, he chanced one last glance back at Eponine, but she was gone. Marius smiled and lightly touched the ring of keys that now lay in his pocket.

Eponine sagged against the wall and let out a shaky breath. She was leaning behind one of the pillars in the hall, and every nerve in her body was trembling. She was grateful that that man had intervened at just the right time! If Germaine had caught up to her and discovered what she and Marius had planned…she shuddered. Pulling herself together, she straightened up and crept back into the courtroom.

**The plan is in action! Will it succeed? Stay tuned to find out! Oh, and to everyone who's reviewed thank you, you guys leave the biggest smiles on my face:)**


	9. Chapter 9

**As I was writing this, I couldn't help but laugh at Germaine going to all of this trouble just to make Eponine and Enjolras miserable. He's a sad little man. Anyways, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter! I hope you all enjoy it! And I hope you all had a Happy Easter!**

**Chapter 9:**

The rest of the trial flew by in a blur. Marius had instructed Eponine to leave once the verdict had been read, and as the jury delivered it (guilty), Eponine stood up and fled the premises. Of course she added her own little flourish of fake tears and a loud sob. It was extremely convincing if she did say so herself!

Enjolras was being cuffed again by the mustached officer. Marius was pleading with him, telling him that everything was going to be alright, not to worry, but Enjolras was panicking. What was going to happen to him now? Surely they would hang him tomorrow morning… and where had Eponine gone?

"Please," Marius choked out, "can I just have one more moment alone with my friend?" A wave of nausea crashed over Enjolras. Was this actually happening? The officer heaved an exasperated sigh, but something in Marius' expression convinced him.

"Alright," he said. Cosette was looking at Marius with worried eyes. He nodded at her and followed the officer as he escorted the two men into the antechamber where he had taken quite a nice nap that afternoon. "Five minutes," he snapped.

After he left, Marius quickly began pulling off his coat.

"Marius, what are you doing?" Enjolras demanded.

"Here, put this on," Marius instructed, handing the coat to Enjolras. Enjolras held up his hands in front of him, showing off his hand cuffs. "Ah, yes," Marius said. He reached into the coat pocket and pulled out the ring of keys.

"Where did those come from?" Enjolras shouted.

"Shh!" Marius hissed, bringing a finger to his lips. He rattled the keys around until he finally found the correct one and freed Enjolras.

"Marius, what the hell is going on?" Enjolras asked, massaging his sore wrists.

"Quit asking so many questions," Marius said impatiently, "I only have five minutes. Now put my coat on! And my hat!" He pulled his hat off of his head and handed it to Enjolras. Knowing Marius was never going to give him a straight answer, Enjolras did as he was told.

The side door opened up, revealing Cosette. Enjolras narrowed his eyes at the young woman.

"What are you doing here?"

"Helping you escape, isn't it obvious?" She trilled. Enjolras gave Marius an incredulous look.

Marius nodded. "Yes, we're getting you out of here. I'm going to try and disguise you as myself so if someone sees you with Cosette they won't be suspicious. However, I don't want the guards to be suspicious. I want it to look like you escaped. Punch me."

"Excuse me?"

"Punch me!" Marius said. "I'm going to distract them while Cosette gets you away from the courthouse."

"No, Marius, I'm not going to hit you," Enjolras said. There was a sharp knock on the door, and the impatient voice of Monsieur Germaine could be heard.

"What are you doing in there, Pontmercy? The rebel is needed. The officers are waiting."

Enjolras grit his teeth and clenched his fists. Hearing Germaine's voice filled him with an intense hatred and a strong desire to get far away from this prison. And escaping meant seeing Eponine again.

He walked up to Marius and knocked him to the ground with one swift punch.

"Nice hit," Marius said, clutching his cheek. Enjolras bent down next to him, apologies pouring from his lips.

"Come on, Monsieur Enjolras! Marius is going to be fine!" Cosette tugged on the jacket sleeve, pleading with him to follow her. Enjolras' head snapped up at the muffled sound of angry voices coming from the hall.

"What's taking so long?" Germaine barked. The door handle started to turn and finally Enjolras gave in to Cosette and let her lead him out of the door and into the street. He adjusted Marius' jacket on his shoulders and took a shuddering breath. "Where are we going?" he asked softly, making sure the brim of the hat was concealing his face.

"Down the street a ways," Cosette chirped, "Eponine will meet you there."

At that, Enjolras cheered up considerably. "Really?" he said, his eyes brightening. Cosette nodded and looped her arm through his.

"So we don't look suspicious," she said hastily, seeing the panicked look on Enjolras' face.

"Whatever you say, madam. However, I don't think Marius will be too pleased with me."

Cosette gave an unladylike snort. "I don't think _she_ would be too happy, either." They had stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, and Enjolras followed Cosette's gaze. A strangled noise rose from his throat as he watched Eponine standing up against the lamppost at the end of the street. "I'll leave you two here," Cosette said, letting go of his arm. "Eponine will take you through the city and you'll meet Marius and me in the carriage. She knows where to go."

Enjolras nodded, his eyes never leaving Eponine. When he turned to thank Cosette, she was gone. _Stay safe,_ he thought.

Eponine had straightened up from the lamppost and was walking towards him. Enjolras did the same, and they began to speed up until they were both running towards each other. He opened his arms wide and she crashed into them, her thin arms wrapping around his shoulders, trying to close any space that could exist between them.

"Thank God," this time, it was Enjolras whispering the thanks into her hair. He planted firm kisses on her head and she gripped his shirt front, her shoulders shaking with laughter and tears. With trembling hands, Eponine took his face and touched her lips to his. She tasted like the city; metallic and wild and free. He kissed her back with equal fervor, his hands winding into her hair. He pulled away and rested his forehead against hers.

"I never thought I would get to do that again," he confessed, his slender fingers sliding through her hair and reaching to cup the back of her neck.

"I told you I would get you out of there, didn't I?" He nodded and a laugh escaped his lips.

They stood like that, holding and absorbing each other for some time. Neither one of them wanted to be the first to let go. Suddenly, the unmistakable sound of a gunshot pierced the air.

Eponine tensed in Enjolras' embrace. "What was that?" she asked, but Enjolras was already pulling her into an abandoned alleyway.

"Let's not stick around to find out."

Enjolras pulled Eponine by the hand into the nearest alleyway and tried his best to conceal their bodies in the shadows. Eponine could feel Enjolras' heart jumping through his shirt, which was pasted to his skin in a cold sweat. Eponine felt his arms trembling around her, but she did not know if he was shaking from fear, adrenaline, or both. The shadow of the gunman caught her eye at the entrance of the alleyway and Eponine let out a gasp as he turned, the moonlight illuminating his profile.

"Monsieur Germaine?"

Enjolras swore colorfully under his breath and dragged Eponine through the alley. The rustle of their movements attracted Germaine's attention, and he whirled around just in time to see the two disappear into the shadows.

"You can't run from me!" He roared, his shoes pounding against the cobblestones after them.

Eponine let Enjolras lead her through the dark back streets, grasping his hand tighter and tighter when she caught the sound of Monsieur Germaine's foot falls. She nearly crashed into Enjolras, who was standing still, with tension packed into every contour of his body. A blank wall stood in front of them, and he was looking around desperately for an escape.

"This way," Eponine murmured, tugging on his hand. She darted through an old abandoned house, stepping carefully over the broken and dusty furniture that littered the floor. She paused in what she guessed used to be the parlor of the miniature tenement, telling herself to take deep, even breaths.

"I can't believe he followed us," Enjolras muttered under his breath, passing a hand over his haggard face.

"It's alright, I think he's gone now," Eponine said. She led him to the door and gently swung it open onto the street. She glanced left and then right, and then left again, before gingerly stepping into the road. She gestured for Enjolras to follow her, and they resumed walking.

Enjolras kept glancing over his shoulder every few seconds or so to be absolutely certain that Germaine was gone. Once he glanced behind them and froze when he saw a dark shape slither through the street, but when he blinked it was gone. He shook his head and told himself that he was imagining things. Still, he picked up the pace, walking more briskly than before.

"Eponine, where exactly are we going?" he asked her. The city nights were still as hot as ever. Marius' coat was sticking to his back and sweat was running off of his face and stinging his eyes. He would be much more at ease once he was in the carriage, on the way back home.

"Once we make it over the bridge," Eponine pointed to the bridge that sprouted over the Seine, "then the carriage will meet us—"

Another gunshot pierced the air. Enjolras whirled around to find the silhouette of Germaine standing not five yards away and running towards them.

"Run," Enjolras hissed, nudging Eponine forward. "RUN!"

The bridge was closer now, and the two started off towards it at a sprint. Eponine was faster, zipping through the streets like lightning; but with every step she took, the bridge seemed to retreat farther and farther away. Still running, she looked behind her to see that Germaine had almost caught up to Enjolras, and was reaching out to grab his coat.

"Enjolras!" she screamed. Eponine yelped in discomfort as she hit the pavement, her wrists absorbing the shock and a sharp pain shooting up her leg. She wiggled around to see the upturned cobblestone that had caused her to trip. Enjolras was by her side in a flash, bending down to help her up.

But before she could reach up to grasp his hand, Monsieur Germaine approached them. He tackled Enjolras to the ground in a flurry of snarls and curses, throwing punch after punch. "You stupid fools!" He sneered, pinning Enjolras to the ground. "Plotting to escape and thinking I wouldn't notice! I've had enough of your games. I'm going to get rid of you once and for all, and then I will finally get what I want." He pulled out his gun and cocked it against Enjolras' temple.

"You're mad!" Enjolras spat, "all of this trouble because Eponine wouldn't give you what you wanted? You're demented!"

There was a wild shriek of rage as Eponine kicked the gun out of Germaine's grasp and away from Enjolras' head with her ankle that hadn't twisted. She stood over them and began rapidly cursing at him in French and Enjolras' eyes widened in disbelief at some of the words flying out of her mouth. Germaine snarled and grabbed her twisted ankle, causing Eponine to cry out, and pulled her to the ground.

"You stupid slut," he jeered, reaching behind her head to retrieve his pistol. Enjolras rushed over and thrust his hands in between Eponine and Germaine. He gripped the gun tightly and struggled to pull it away from Germaine's hands. The pistol twisted and then shot off suddenly and Eponine screamed.

Everything froze. Enjolras shoved Germaine away and bent over Eponine, examining her face and chest and shoulders.

"I'm fine," she rasped, and when Enjolras didn't stop fretting over her she said louder, "I'm fine! Germaine—he pulled the trigger…"she trailed off as she sat up and focused on Germaine and the blooming red stain spreading across his chest. "The gun must've twisted."

"He accidentally shot himself," Enjolras breathed, his arms still protectively wrapped around Eponine.

Eponine looked up at him. "What do we do?"

"I'll take care of it," Enjolras said tersely, rising to his feet. When he approached the body, he knew Germaine was already dead. The life had already drained out of his face and his eyes were wide open, seeing some other world. He hefted Germaine's limp body into his arms and walked over to the bridge's edge.

Eponine turned her face away. She didn't want to watch as Enjolras buried Germaine in the Seine. Her limbs had begun to tremble with the aftershock of the entire day and she buried her face in the crook of her arm as a few stray tears trickled down her cheeks. After a moment, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She raised her tear-stained face to Enjolras. He bent down and offered her his hand which she took gratefully.

"How's your ankle?" he asked her when he had helped her to stand.

"It's twisted pretty bad," she said, leaning into his side. "I can't walk on it."

"Don't worry, I'll help you," Enjolras gingerly wrapped his arm around her waist and together they slowly made their way to the other side of the bride. After they stepped onto the Parisian stones, Eponine gestured to the carriage waiting for them at the end of the street.

Marius opened up the door for them and helped Enjolras slide Eponine into the interior of the carriage. Once they were both resting against the plush seats, Marius signaled to the driver and they were rattling across the streets.

They recounted the events that had transpired and both Marius and Cosette gasped when they relayed the news of Germaine's death. Marius then explained to them how the police officers had believed Marius' injury and had gone after Enjolras in order to recapture him, which was why Germaine had been after them, too.

"It's quite unlucky that he was the one who found you," Marius said. "But it's all over now, and you're both safe and sound. That's the important thing." He reached over and clasped Enjolras' shoulder. "I'm glad you're alright, Enjolras."

Enjolras grinned at Marius. "If it weren't for you, I'd be dead already. Thank you, Marius. Your plan was brilliant. And I'm surprised that you went along with it, mademoiselle," he said to Cosette who flushed a light pink.

"It's the least I could do," she said.

They lapsed into a very comfortable silence, and Eponine rested her head against Enjolras' shoulder. Her eyelids began to droop as the carriage bounced against the uneven road. She felt Enjolras' breathing begin to even out, and she heard Cosette sigh as Marius began to snore softly. Her fatigue got the better of her, and she was enveloped in a peaceful darkness within minutes.

**Yay! Free at last! Don't worry; there are still a few more chapters to wrap everything up. Thanks for all the support for this story; it means more than I can put into words. You guys are amazing!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello! I am incredibly sorry this took so long…I've been meaning to get back to this story for ages and I guess now was the right time. This is the last "chapter", the next one will be an epilogue. Thank you to all of the people who have stuck with me and for the ones who just discovered the story! I hope you enjoy the ending!**

**Chapter 10:**

When Eponine awoke, she was startled to find that she was resting on one of the large, plush beds in one of many spare bedrooms in the Pontmercy estate. She stretched her stiff, aching joints and winced as her sore ankle shifted under the blanket that was splayed across her legs. Her head was filled with fog as she tried to recall arriving at Marius' house last night. Someone must've carried her up here; Enjolras, no doubt.

As if he could read her mind, Enjolras poked his blonde head into the room. "You're awake," he observed cheerfully. He made his way over and perched himself on the edge of the bed, twisting to face her. "You slept for a very long time, but you needed to rest." He smiled at her, but it did not quite reach his eyes. The vibrant blue orbs that were usually so captivating had faded, hollowed out. The eyes that normally sparkled with passion and zeal were clouded with a mysterious, secretive air.

Eponine narrowed her eyes at him. "What's wrong?"

Enjolras' forehead wrinkled in irritation and he frowned. Leave it to Eponine to notice that something was wrong right away. "The doctor will be here soon to look at your ankle," he said, attempting to change the subject. He suppressed a groan when Eponine scoffed at him.

"I'm not a fool, Enjolras. You may have a face made of marble, but your eyes give you away. What is it? Please tell me." She clasped his slender fingers in her hand and pressed them urgently.

Enjolras sighed.

Meanwhile, Marius was just about to sit down to a delightful breakfast. He was more than happy to be able to lapse back into his usual routine of eating his poached egg and his two pieces of toast with jam (and butter! Oh, he loved butter). He had just settled into his chair, poured the cream and sugar into his coffee, and was stuffing one of the fine linen napkins into his shirt front, when the footman sauntered into the dining room.

"The doctor has arrived," he said.

"Damn it all," Marius muttered mutinously. "Can't a man just enjoy his breakfast? Alright, let him in then," he ordered the footman.

Marius received Dr. Madeleine somewhat impolitely, gritting his teeth and forming tight-lipped smiles whenever the doctor tried to slip in clever jokes into their friendly banter. Finally, Dr. Madeleine agreed to see to Eponine's ankle, but on the way to the guest room he became preoccupied when he caught a glimpse of Cosette and Henry in a different room and stopped in the doorway to say hello.

Marius continued walking down the hall to Eponine's room, resolving to wait just outside the door until Dr. Madeleine was ready.

"Alright," Enjolras said. Another pause followed after, and Marius found himself leaning towards their conversation. "We have to leave, Eponine. And I don't mean this town…I mean we need to leave France. Permanently."

Marius' eyes widened. He felt a heavy weight constrict against his heart. It startled him at first, and it took him a moment to realize why the awful emptiness in his chest felt so foreign. Ever since Enjolras and Eponine had returned to his life, he had felt the gaping hole in his chest begin to shrink. Normally it was constantly there, his beating heart creating a wider wound, incessantly slashing the memory of his dead friends onto his heart.

Would they really leave, just like that? Disappear into the air like smoke, the way he had feared that they would when he had first seen them? No, it wouldn't happen! It couldn't. Not now.

"I was afraid of that," Eponine said mournfully. "What a shame, we had just found Marius again, too."

"I know. I am sorry, my dear. But it's not safe here for us."

"But I don't want to run away anymore," was her quiet reply, and Marius could hear the thick tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.

_Neither do I,_ Marius thought to himself. He jumped as Dr. Madeleine clapped a hand on his shoulder, breaking him out of his reverie. Marius was lost in a dense fog the entire time Dr. Madeleine examined Eponine's ankle. He barely paid attention as the doctor set her ankle, Eponine gripping Enjolras' hand so tight it was a miracle that his fingers didn't fall off.

Marius did not recall showing Dr. Madeleine to the door and was not aware that he had found his way back to his chair in the dining room until Eponine and Enjolras, who was hovering protectively over her, sat down at the table with him.

The more he thought about it, the angrier Marius became. How could they do this to him? After putting him through seven painful years filled with soul-crushing affliction, they would just dissipate after a few days? Did they even care about him at all?

"Marius?" Eponine's questioning tone broke through his reverie. "Are you alright? I don't think your spoon appreciates being gripped so tightly," she laughed.

Marius' jaw tightened as he deliberately set his spoon down, prying his sore fingers from its handle.

"Marius, what is it?" Eponine inquired, resting her hand on his arm.

"I know you're planning on leaving," Marius said tersely.

Eponine sucked in a sharp breath and drew her hand away. "Marius, believe me, we don't want to leave either—"

"Then why go? You're happy here!"

"How could we be happy now that Germaine's ruined everything? We're not safe here…not anymore," Eponine said in a clipped tone. How selfish Marius was being!

Marius hastily flung his chair from the table and left the room in a furious whirlwind, leaving Eponine and Enjolras staring after him in surprised astonishment.

"Can you believe him?!" Eponine exclaimed, turning to stare at Enjolras, whose brow was furrowed in consternation.

"I knew Marius would be upset, but I did not expect him to be so…intolerant towards our situation. Perhaps he just needs to sort things out on his own."

Eponine bit her lip and looked glumly at the door Marius had stormed out of moments before. "I hope so, I don't want to depart on bad terms," she gazed down at her hands that were clasped primly in her lap.

Enjolras placed his hand gently on her shoulder. "Let's go pack things up, we'll come back before we go, I promise."

Eponine smiled at him somberly. "Alright."

The two spent most of the day working; packing up old books and other heirlooms into boxes and the things that they would need immediately on their journey overseas into a trunk. They were going to travel to the nearest shipyard and get on the first ship that would allow them entrance. They would formulate a plan once they found out where they were headed.

Enjolras tried his best to keep Eponine's mind off of Marius, but he would catch her sometimes in the middle of packing a box, her eyes worlds away. He knew all about Eponine's past with Marius, and it left a bitter taste in his mouth when he thought about how much more pain Marius was causing her.

He was watching her worriedly as she sat on the floor packing books into a box, when there was a fierce knock on the door. They both looked at each other, Eponine's eyes wide the terror. Had the police found them already? Had they lingered too long?

"It's Cosette!" the voice chirped and Enjolras let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding.

Eponine stood up and dusted herself off as Enjolras swung open the door to reveal a cheery Henry, who barreled into the apartment and straight into Eponine, clinging to her skirts with a surprising amount of strength.

Enjolras turned back to Cosette, who was standing next to a grumpy looking Marius. She nudged him forward and when he didn't move she rolled her eyes and forcibly shoved him across the threshold. Marius made an indignant sound, and stared coldly at his wife.

"Quit acting like a child, Marius," she chided, crossing her arms over her chest. "Marius has something he would like to say," Cosette declared, stepping into the room.

Marius, who had chosen to stop fighting Cosette, cleared his throat awkwardly.

"I would like to apologize for the way I acted this morning. It was selfish of me to try and force you to stay. I'm sorry…I just can't bear to lose the two of you again," he scuffed his shoe across the wood floor, heat rising quickly to his cheeks.

"Marius…" Eponine approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You know this is what is best for me and Enjolras…we don't want to lose you again, either, but we have no choice. We can't stay here."

Marius nodded solemnly. "I know. We helped you before and so we're going to help you again. Where are you planning on going?"

Enjolras relayed their plan to Marius while Cosette, Henry, and Eponine continued to pack up the rest of their things into boxes.

"The trunk is ready, however, everything else we cannot take with us," Enjolras said.

Marius nodded, "We can keep that until you get settled. Send me a letter at my work address rather than my home address. It will look less suspicious."

The Pontmercy's shared the last of the bread and cheese that Enjolras and Eponine had in the kitchen and once the sun had started to set, they helped them load all of their belongings into a fiacre. By the time they arrived to the nearest shipyard, it was well past sundown.

Luckily enough, Enjolras managed to find a ship that would allow him and Eponine aboard, and before he knew it, it was time to say goodbye to Marius and Cosette.

Eponine turned reluctantly to the pair, her eyes filled with the sorrow of parting. Who knew if she would ever see either of them again? It had taken her seven years to be reunited with Marius…what if it took seven more to find him once more? She didn't want to put herself through that much heartache.

Marius and Enjolras were deep in conversation, leaving Eponine and Cosette to say their farewells.

"Thank you, Cosette. For everything," Eponine said. And she meant it, too. Never in her life, especially in the time before, would she ever have thought that she could have a connection with the young woman standing in front of her. The two may have had a rough past, but it seemed that the future for them looked bright. Still, Eponine was surprised when Cosette gathered the other girl in a warm embrace.

"There's no need to thank me," she said, placing her hands on Eponine's shoulders. "You've made Marius so happy, it's me who should be thanking you. I do hope we see each other again in the future."

"We will." Marius interjected. "We found each other before, and we'll find each other again. I know it."

"HEY!" A gruff voice called. It was one of the sailors on the ship that would be taking Eponine and Enjolras across the sea. "We won't wait all night! Either get on or we're leavin' ya!"

"That's our cue," Enjolras said grimly, gently touching Eponine's elbow.

Eponine turned quickly and barreled into Marius, hugging his torso fiercely. She wished she could just have one more moment to say goodbye, to say everything she wanted to say. But Marius hugged her back quickly and then unlaced her arms from his midsection.

"Go on, Ponine," he said. "You don't want to miss your ticket out. Everything will be okay, I'll see you soon."

Eponine tried to blink the tears out of her eyes and let Enjolras lead her to the ship. The sailor helped them get settled below deck and told them that the ship was headed for England.

"Another city," Enjolras said. He pulled Eponine close to him and kissed her hair. "Another world. A new life."

**Alright, just one more update! I have another e/e story I'm working on that I want to post. It's a oneshot, but it's still a work in progress so it might take a while to get on here! Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, feedback would be awesome! :)**


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